It's complicated
by dorkycorky88
Summary: "Oh, that's right- You slept with your stepbrother once and then you both claimed it was because you missed home." She laughs to herself quietly. "You see self, there's only one problem in your logic. And you might as well admit it now because you sure as hell can't say it out loud. -You love him- In fact, you have for quite some time you've just been too ashamed to admit it"
1. Chapter 1

**I'll state the obvious here, this is probably going to be a little OOC, what fanfic isn't really?**

**I don't own LWD, this was just for fun.**

_So, is this where we're at now? _Casey thought to herself as she looks at the boy who is lying in bed with her. _How did we fall into this… pattern? _ Casey quietly gets out of the bed and starts to gather her clothes off the floor. _How did this even start? _Casey gets dressed in the bathroom and runs her fingers through her hair trying to work the knots out.

_Oh, that's right- You slept with your stepbrother once and then you both claimed it was because you missed home. _She laughs to herself quietly.

_You see self, there's only one problem in your logic. And you might as well admit it now because you sure as hell can't say it out loud. -You love him- In fact, you have for quite some time you've just been too ashamed to admit it, even if only to yourself._

Casey shakes her head and splashes her face with cold water. She walks back to the bed to put her shoes on. Derek starts to stir in his sleep, she gets up and tip toes out of his dorm room.

She never tells Derek when she leaves after their evenings together, she cons herself into thinking if she just treats it as if it were a one night stand –_One that never ends apparently-_ These feelings will go away. You would think after six months of this she would realize that these feelings were here to stay. But Casey only sees what she wants to see.

When Casey makes it out of Derek's dorm hall the sun has finally risen but the air still feels like ice on her skin. She glances at her watch, 7:30am. She has to meet Emily for coffee in half an hour, she has just enough time to get to her dorm and change.

Not having any classes today Casey puts on a simple pair of jeans and a brown sweater and throws her hair up in a messy bun not having time to shower.

_I wonder if Derek is awake yet? He has a class in ten minutes. _Casey lightly hits her head with the palm of her hand. _Stop that. Derek is a big boy, he can take care of himself. He doesn't need you to make sure he gets places on time. You're not his girlfriend… What the hell am I then?_

Casey doesn't have time to analyze things right now, she is about to open the door to the coffee shop on campus and Emily already has a seat open for her.

Emily looks her over and smirks at her. "You stayed at Derek's last night didn't you?" Emily always knows, Casey blushes, "How did you know?" Emily laughs "Are you kidding Casey? You've got 'I just had sex' written all over your face!" Casey's hand shoots up and pretends to scrub at words that aren't there. They both start laughing. "I must learn proper grooming in the mornings!" Casey says in mock embarrassment.

"So," Emily says almost sounding bored while slowly sipping her coffee. "So," Casey repeats in the same tone. "How was it?" Casey grabs a handful of napkins and throws them in Emily's face, she doesn't try to dodge them because she is too busy laughing her butt off.

Derek woke to the sound of the door opening and closing, he hated that Casey never told him she was leaving. He tried not to feel like he was being used, but when she would sneak out in the mornings that's exactly how he felt. So why did he keep coming back for more? For six months he told himself that this new relationship with Casey was purely physical, a way of having a piece of home with him when she was around. But the longer whatever this was went on the harder it was for Derek to push his feelings down.

But in the back of his mind he knew that he was ridiculously in love with Casey. From the first time they gotten into a heated argument he knew he was a goner.  
She didn't put up with any of his crap and he was determined to get that girl to loosen up.

He looked at his clock and let out a low growl, he hated having morning classes. _I mean seriously, 8am was a little too early for a history class right?_ He grabbed some clean clothes and headed to the shower.

Having only 15 minutes to get from his dorm to his class –across campus- he got dressed as fast as he could and sprinted to the history department and slipping in the door before the teachers aid could slam the door shut.

The two classes he had that day seemed to melt into one giant blur, the only thing that was in focus was Casey and the way her eyes would sparkle when he kissed her. How soft her skin was against his own and the way she would giggle when he kissed her nose before falling asleep.

_Things had progressed so easily between them, it started with movie nights. They would argue for over an hour on what to watch that by the time they had settled on something both were too worked up to even pay attention to the movie._

_Sometimes they would cook for each other, Casey's meals of course were far superior but Derek would never admit that. _

_After a few weeks of this Derek had stopped making plans on the weekends that didn't involve Casey, if he wasn't with her or Sam he was in class or occasionally playing hockey with the boys. _

_One night after Casey had made Derek dinner in his room they had fallen asleep on his bed while watching a movie. Casey had woken up first that morning and gently nudged Derek's shoulder to wake him up. "Hey, I'm going to take off. Thanks for letting me crash here." Derek was still mid-stretch so he didn't notice her leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, when he did see her moving toward him he turned to look at her and she ended up kissing him almost square on the mouth. She pulled her head away and blushed, keeping her eyes down she said "Bye," quietly and walked to the door. _

_Before she could open it Derek had grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. Casey gasped before Derek put his lips on hers and kissed her gently. He broke away a few seconds later, "Bye," he said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Casey couldn't do anything but stare into his eyes for a moment, she finally regained her composure and left his room. _

Somehow Derek found himself back in his room staring at the TV without knowing how he got there. Thinking of Casey could always take away huge chunks of his day and he'd have no idea what happened in that time.

There was a knock on his door that brought Derek out of his stupor, he got up and went to his door and looked out the peep hole, it was Casey. Derek's heart started to quicken at the sight up her. He opened the door and leaned against the frame giving her his best smirk. She brushed passed him and sat on his bed. "Look Case," he said closing the door "if you want me twice in one day you need to at least call. I could of have had a girl in here," Casey turns to look at him, her face is pale and her eyes are red and puffy. "I would totally kick her out for you though." Casey puts her head in her hands and begins to sob. Derek instinctively takes a step away from her and bumping into his door. Her whole body is wracked with sobs, Derek walks over and sits on the bed with her. He puts his hand on her back and starts to rub it in circles. He has never tried to comfort someone when they cry, well unless you counted Marti, he did the back rub thing on her and it worked so he might as well try it with Casey.

"Case, what's wrong?" She cried harder and started rocking her body back and forth. "Casey, tell me what's wrong, you're scaring me." She still had her hands on her face, Derek pried her hands away and held her face in his hands. "Casey," he said looking into her eyes.

"I'm pregnant, Derek."

**Alright, there's the first chapter. I'm really excited to write this next chapter and possibly get the rest of the family in on the next chapter as well. Please review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for reading and following, I can't believe this story already has over 200 hundred views and I only posted it yesterday. Thank you guys so much! This chapter is much longer than the first, I just get carried away sometimes.**

**Note- I don't own the show or any other references to songs. Please enjoy!**

Chapter two

DEREK

For a moment all Derek sees is darkness, he feels nothing, hears nothing. He has no idea how long he has been unconscious he only knows that when he starts to come out of it he hears loud painful sobs.

He finally opens his eyes and sees that he's on the floor of his dorm and Casey is hovering over him touching his face and smoothing his hair.

"Derek, are you alright?" Casey whispers. Derek tries to focus on her eyes, they are still red a puffy but they are no longer brimming with tears. "Here, let me help you sit up."

Casey takes his hand and puts her other hand behind his shoulder and pulls him up and helps him sit on his bed again.

Derek didn't speak for a few minutes, _Pregnant? How could she be pregnant? We've always been so careful. _Derek's eyes widen at a sudden memory- on one particular evening a few weeks back they had gone back to her room and things had gotten heated, it was his idea that it would be ok if they continued without protection.

"It's my fault," Derek murmurs. "Derek, I could have put up more of a fight that night then I did." Casey says still caressing his hair with a slight laugh to her tone. "What are we going to do?" Derek asks. Casey puts both of her hands in her lap and looks at the floor. "I don't know," she breathed. Derek turned to look at her, "Do you want to keep it?" he asked searching her blue eyes, she looked absolutely terrified. Derek suddenly felt sad that she might say no.

"I can't just get rid of it, Derek!" Casey said raising her voice and standing up. Derek quickly grabbed her hands and brought her back to sit next to him and pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry," he said into her hair. "I didn't meant to upset you." He pulled back to look at her, her eyes were starting to tear up again, but she didn't look sad anymore, she almost looked determined.

"I can't get rid of it Derek, I'll never be able to live with myself. And I don't think I could bear the idea of knowing that this baby was somewhere out there being loved and cared for by someone else, it won't even know who we are if we give it up Derek." Derek stared at her for a moment, He was scared out of his mind but seeing Casey act so calm now settled him so he could actually think for a moment.

Derek knew a few things at the moment- One, he was already in love with Casey, and he couldn't deny it anymore. Two- He knew that she was it for him, he saw his future with her. Three- This baby, although a rather sudden surprise, was the best news he had ever gotten. _You know after he regained consciousness_. If he was going to have a kid with someone he had always hoped it would be Casey.

"Will you please tell me what you're thinking?" Casey begged. Derek took a deep breath and tried to search for the right words. "I think we should keep it," He said, Casey gave him a quizzical look. "I'm serious, we could go to school closer to home. I'm sure Dad and Nora are going to be pissed, but there's really nothing they can do. I can get a job, and we can find a place to live," Casey cut him off. "Are you ok? You're starting to scare me." She said touching his forehead to check his temperature. "What do you mean?" He asked as Casey dropped her hands back into her lap. "I really wasn't expecting this reaction," She said fiddling with her fingers. "Casey, you're having my baby, how else am I supposed to act?" He said taking her hand. "Not like this, we just started our first year of college. You're Derek Venturi, you don't like commitment, and whatever this is we have going on is the longest "Relationship" you've been in." She said using air quotes to emphasize the word 'relationship.' She looked him in the eyes, "Derek, I can't do this unless I can count on you. I want this baby, I need to know you'll be there if I keep it." Derek took her face in his hands and lightly kissed her lips.

"Where else could I be?"

CASEY

Casey stayed with Derek for the rest of the evening just letting him hold her, the only time either of them spoke was when Derek would whisper "We're going to be ok," in her ear. There wasn't any need for words, their minds were already made up.

Derek lent Casey an old shirt and a pair of shorts to sleep in, he said he didn't want to spend another night away from her again. Casey was comforted by the way he was acting. She made herself sick with worry before she got up the nerve to tell him.

_Casey knew something was wrong for a few days, she was NEVER late, her boobs were sore and she was getting headaches every day, and she was _so_ tired. She finally got the nerve to tell Emily after her last class. Emily just hugged her and took her to the drug store to buy a test._

"_It's positive," Casey said, she slumped down on her bed and started to cry. Emily sat next to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "What am I going to do Emily?" "You need to tell him, Case." Casey stood up and began pacing her room. "Yeah that's going to go over well, 'Hey Derek, I know we've been sleeping together for six months and outside of the bedroom you've showed about zero interest in me, but I just thought you should know I'm pregnant and it's yours'? He is going to flip, he'll probably tell me to get rid of it and never speak to me again." Casey said waving her arms dramatically as she spoke. _

"_Casey do you really think Derek is going to behave that way?" Emily said watching her from her seat on the bed. "Yes, no. I don't know." Casey said sitting on the floor. "You need to tell him Casey, he has a right to know." Emily said getting up and sitting next to her on the floor. "I don't even know what I want to do yet." "I know, but this is a choice you need to make together." Casey sighed. "I know Em, I know. I just don't know if I can handle it if he gets mad at me, I think I love him Emily." Emily starts to laugh, "This situation isn't very funny Davis," Casey said shooting a glare at her best friend. "I know it's not, but Casey, everyone knows you are into Derek, and he's into you. You guys are just too dumb to see it."_

By the time Casey woke up in the morning Derek was already on the phone with their parents, "Ok Nora, yeah, we'll see you this weekend." Case felt her stomach tighten, she knew that they had to tell her parents, but she was scared. She hated knowing that she was going to disappoint her mother and George. Derek seen her sit up and she thought she seen his face brighten when he noticed her, but she just thought that she was still sleepy.

Derek sat next to her on the bed, "Hey, how you feeling?" He asked kissing her forehead and then taking her hand in his. Casey tried not to blush, "Alright I guess. So we're going home this weekend?" "Is that alright? I figure we should tell them as soon as we can," Casey squeezed his hand and shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. I'm just scared that's all," Derek gave her a weak smile, "Me too," He leaned down and kissed on the lips. "I've got to let Sam know that we're leaving tomorrow, I told him and the guys that I would play hockey this weekend. Do you, uh, mind if I tell him the other news?" Derek said pointing at her abdomen. Casey smiled, "No, its fine, Emily knows." Derek laughed, "Which means Sam knows too," they both chuckled.

Casey wrapped her arms around Derek, "Thank you," she said into the crook of his neck, "For what?" Derek snickered. "For _everything._" Casey said hoping that he would understand the full extent of what she said. She wasn't just thanking him for being there, the more she thought about it she realized that she was thankful for this baby he had given her, and the kindness he was showing her.

Derek pulled away and looked her in her eyes, Casey was surprised to see that his eyes held so much love…? In them, _love_, huh. That was new. "Casey, I'm not going anywhere." He said touching her cheek, she nodded her head. "Well, Space Case," Derek said violently messing up her hair, "I gotta get out of here," He slipped his shoes on, Casey didn't think she would be so happy to have him mess with her again. They really were going to be ok, weren't they? Derek turned back to her and gave her a quick kiss and pulled her into a tight hug. "I shouldn't be gone long, you should go pack, and I'll meet you in your room in a few hours."

DEREK

After one last look at Casey from the door Derek left to meet up with Sam at the deli down the street. His mind was abuzz with thoughts and visions of the future, he saw himself teaching his son how to play hockey; and keeping boys like him the hell away from his daughter. He chuckled as that song _'Cleaning this gun'_ by Rodney Atkins came to mind.

Both at the age of 19 Derek knew they were young, but he knew they could do this, he loved Casey enough to go through anything.

Sam was sitting at a table outside when Derek rounded the corner to the deli, Sam gave him a knowing smile as he sat down. "Alright," Derek sighed, "tell me what you know and I'll fill in the blanks." "Well, I knew you and Casey were messing around, I just figured you were all talk. But now we have proof!" Sam said lightly slugging Derek's arm. "Thanks for your enthusiasm, Sammy." Derek said rubbing his hand over the spot Sam hit him.

"I think its good you know? This might be what you needed to get your shit straight," Sam said taking a bite of his bagel, "_'Get my shit straight,' _what do you mean?" Derek inquired sounding a little defensive, Sam help up his hands silently asking Derek to wait. "We both know you've had feelings for Casey since you beat the crap out of Truman for kissing her cousin at that party, all I'm saying is now that you're in this situation and you know she wants to stick around with you there's really no reason why you can't just tell her." Derek shook his head, "Having sex with someone and accidently getting pregnant doesn't mean she feels the same way I do, Sam. We just sort of fell into this; I spent so many years terrorizing her that I can't believe that she actually lets me even touch her, let alone sleep with her." Sam laughed but Derek choose to ignore him and continue. "The only time the subject of us being together comes up is when we make plans to hook up." Derek said looking down at the table, he wasn't used to sharing this much about himself, even with his best friend.

"You guys really are that naïve aren't you? Do you really think that Casey is the kind of girl that just lets anybody sleep with her? We were together for 4 months and that wasn't even on the horizon for us, not for my lack of trying of course." Derek shot Sam a murderous glare. "But, I mean think about it D, do you really think Casey has that little self-respect that she would fool around with someone she thought hated her? You've got to know she likes you too," Sam said, his eyes pleading with Derek.

"I like to think she does sometimes," Derek said snatching half of Sam's bagel, "She has a way of looking at me sometimes that I don't understand, almost like she's amazed that I'm there with her. I gotta say, I like it when she looks at me that way," "Ah," Sam said exaggerating the word, "Will you please just tell her you love her already!"

CASEY

They wake up early Friday morning to start the 4 hour drive home, Derek helps her with her bag, he won't let her carrying anything at all in in fact. "Derek, I'm not going to break if I carry a small bag of clothes. You need to relax," Casey says climbing into the car. "Yeah, yeah, you're woman hear you roar." Derek said kissing her hand. "Ready?" he asks turning the car on, "As much as I'll ever be,"

They have been driving for about an hour when Derek squeezes her hand, "Why don't you try and rest, we still have a few hours." Casey smiled, "I'm not really tired Derek," she said. "I was doing some reading before we went to bed last night, this website said that because of all the changes going on you'll most likely experience extra fatigue and morning sickness, do you, uh, do you feel alright?" He said looking at her from the corner of his eye. Casey blushed, _Derek reading up on pregnancy? What has gotten into this boy? _"I'll be just find as long as you keep me away from pizza," Casey said remembering the night before she found out she was pregnant, Derek had ordered a pizza and she threw up at soon as she smelled it. "Wait a minute!" Derek said dropping her hand and startling her, "Whose baby do you have in there? No kid of mine would not love pizza," Derek said with mock rage, "Oh hush," Casey said. Derek took her hand again and pressed a small kiss to the inside of her wrist. "I'm just kidding, as long as _he_ can enjoy spaghetti I will no longer question if that baby is mine," "'He' huh?" Casey said lightly, "Of course, Casey it's a proven scientific fact that us Venturi's have boys first, for 6 generations the first born has always been a boy. Don't fight it, it's true." "Well, what if it's a girl?" Casey stubbornly asked. Derek put a finer to her lips, "Shh, sleep now. No more talkie. It's a boy, deal with it." He said pinching her cheek.

Casey had fallen asleep about an hour before they got home, Derek pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. He looked over at her and watched her sleep for a few minutes before reaching out and touching her cheek, her eyes fluttered a bit but stayed closed. Derek leaned over his seat and kissed her temple, waking up to the feeling of Derek's lips on her head she looked at him and smiled, "We're here," Derek said running his fingers through her hair, "we better go in." Casey nodded and opened her door.

Casey was about to open the door when it flew open revealing her mother on the other side. Nora literally scooped her off the ground and tightly squeezed her. "Can't. Breathe. Mom." Casey said patting her mom's back. "Sorry," Nora said setting her back on the porch. "Oh, I've missed you!" her mother said bringing her in for a less vise like grip hug. "Yeah, I've missed you too." Her mother finally let her go and was moving on to Derek, who put his hands out in front of him to ward off the oncoming hug, Nora scoffed and enveloped him into a hug anyway.

"Well you guys are just in time, we were just about to eat lunch, the kids are already at the table, Marti went over to the Davis' to play she should be home before dinner." Derek and Casey took off their coats and headed to the dining room. George was at the head of the table picking at the food on his plate. Casey looked down at Edwin who was stuffing his face with, _Oh no,_ Casey thought, they were eating pizza. "I'm just going to uh, I'm not in the mood," Casey said backing away from the dining room, but it was too late she had already smelled it, she looked over at Derek who's eyes had widened when he made the connection to her reaction to what was being served. "I'll, um, excuse me." Casey said clamping a hand over her mouth and running up the stairs to the bathroom and barely making it before the vomiting started. Everyone at the table looked confused. "I'll, um, I'll go see how she's doing." Derek said running up to the bathroom, he heard the faucet running so he decided to wait for her to come out.

When the door opened Casey's face was pale and shiny with sweat, Derek still thought she was beautiful. "Oh honey," he said with pity in his voice. Casey rolled her eyes at him. "Why don't you go lay down, I'll tell them you're sick from the drive and we'll get something to eat later, ok?" Casey nodded and walked over to Derek burying her face into her shirt. "It's going to be fine Casey," Derek said smoothing her hair down. Casey looked up at him, "I know," she said kissing his cheek. "Ugh, Casey, vomit, please." He said slightly pushing her into her room, he winked at her before he closed the door.

Casey work up about an hour later and headed down stairs, Edwin and Lizzie where nowhere in sight. Her mom and George were sitting on the couch watching a movie while Derek was pretending to be paying attention, upon seeing her Derek sat up in his chair, "You ok?" he asked ignoring the questioning glances from their parents. Casey nodded her head and turned to the adults. "Uh, mom… George; Derek and I need to talk to you," "What is it sweetheart?" Casey sat on the edge of Derek's chair and he wrapped his arm around her waist, George and Nora noticed but didn't say anything.

"Well uh," Casey said glancing over to Derek. "Casey and I have been seeing each other." Derek blurted out. George's eyes were bugging out of his head and Nora gasped. Both Derek and Casey winced ready for the yelling to start, but it didn't. They opened their eyes and studied their parents. "Well, uh, how long has this been going on?" George and Nora asked at the same time. "Six months," Casey admitted. "Six months! Casey, why didn't you tell me?" Nora said. Casey looked down to her belly. _Tell them. _ She pleaded with herself. "There's uh, more," Casey said meeting her mother's puzzled gaze. "What," Nora laughed, "Are you pregnant too?" When Casey just looked at her mother guiltily Nora promptly fainted.

**Thank you for reading! Please review and let me know what you think! I'll try and get the next chapter up soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is a little slow going, I had a bit of writers block, I will tell you that there is some good Dasey in this chapter ;) Enjoy!**

Chapter Three

DEREK

After Nora came to and stopped hyperventilating and George had stopped pacing the living room Casey and Nora were in the living room discussing doctors and when to get set up the first appointment.

Derek sat on his bed, his door opened and Edwin stepped in. Both Edwin and Lizzie had been home and heard everything, Edwin took a seat in Derek's desk chair and spun around to face him dramatically. "So, I heard you knocked up Casey." "Edwin!" Derek yelled tackling him to the ground and started to wrestle him. "Stop, stop! I give up!" Edwin yelped when Derek pinned him to the ground. Derek climbed off Edwin and helped him stand up, they both sat on Derek's bed. "You and Casey huh? Can't say I'm surprised, but how the heck did that happen?"

Derek shrugged. "It just sort of happened, we started spending a lot of time together and it just went from there." Edwin nodded seeming to except this. "So what are you guys going to do now?" "We're going to transfer here and I'm going to get a job, it's going to be hard, but I know we can do it." _'Because I love her,'_ is how Derek wanted that sentence to end, he tried to stop the blush that was creeping up on his cheeks hoping Edwin wouldn't notice. No such luck, "You're blushing!" Edwin exclaimed pointing at his face, Derek glared at him. "You love her don't you?" Edwin asked almost accusingly. "Shut up, Ed."

Yeah he loved her, but he wasn't going to tell Edwin that before he told Casey, He knew that she had to have feelings for him but he didn't know how deep they were. I mean he couldn't exactly tell her now, she might think it was just because of their situation.

CASEY

Nora had been going on endlessly for over an hour about prenatal care and finding the perfect doctor, "We need to figure out which hospital you're going to deliver at," "Mom," "Oh, Rachel from work said she had Dr. Michaels and he was great, better write that one down." "Mom," "We need to get you some vitamins and start you on a healthy diet," "Mom!" Casey yelled causing Nora to jump. "Sorry," Casey said patting her mother's knee "I'm really tired, I think I'm going to go lay down." "Ok sweetie, let me know if you need anything," Nora gave Casey a small hug.

Casey tiredly made her way up to her room just as Lizzie was coming out of hers, Lizzie gave Casey a look she couldn't decipher. Too tired to try and figure it out Casey opened her door and walked over to her bed and flopped face down on her mattress. "Casey?" Lizzie questioned in a small voice. Casey groaned, _I just want to sleep!_ Casey rolled over and looked at her sister, "What's up Liz?"

Lizzie walked over and sat on her bed. "So is it true? About you and Derek, and, uh, you being pregnant?" Casey suddenly felt ashamed, she wanted to be someone her sister could look up to. _Who wants to look up to someone who showed so much promise only to have her boyfriend knock her up? _Casey thought. "Yeah," Casey said reaching out and touching Lizzie's hand. "Are you scared?" Lizzie said turning to look Casey in the eyes. "Terrified," Casey breathed out.

"You're not going to, um, get an," Lizzie's voice trailed off not wanting to finish was she was going to say. "No," Casey said curtly, "We're keeping it." Lizzie sat there for a moment absorbing what Casey said. Lizzie turned and hugged Casey, "I love you," Casey squeezed her tighter. "I love you too,"

DEREK

After Edwin left his room Derek was still on his bed looking at the ceiling, the sound of his father clearing his throat broke him out of his trance. "Hey, can we talk son?" Derek sat up and his dad took a seat in his chair. "Shoot," Derek said trying to sound nonchalant because he was scared of what his dad was going to say. "Look, I know the situation with you and Casey is not ideal, but Nora and I want you to know that we're here for you guys. But we do have some questions." George said rubbing his tired eyes. Derek nodded, waiting for his father to continue. "Well for starters, what are you doing about school?"

Derek exhaled a deep breath, "We're going to transfer here so Casey can be near Nora while she's pregnant." George nodded, "And what about after she has the baby, what is the plan then?" Derek rubbed his head with both hands, he knew this talk was coming but he wasn't in the mood right now. "I'm going to get a job dad, as soon as we move back. I'm going to find us a place to live,"

"Have you guys thought about what you're doing after the baby is here? Are you guys going to get married? What kind of place can you afford if you can only have a part time job because you're in school full time?" Derek's head was swimming, "Dad, slow down. First of all we just found out the day before yesterday, we haven't exactly had a heart to heart about things yet. And _get married?_ Who said that we had to get married?" Not that Derek hadn't spent the last what… the whole time he's known Casey thinking about being married to her. How many times has he thought about how he would ask her, how often he thought about having children with her; but he knew that Casey wasn't in the same place he was, and there was no way to ask her that anytime soon without it sounding like he was doing out of a responsibility.

"I can't ask her something like that now, you know, if I wanted to that is. She wouldn't accept, she'd just think I was asking because I thought I had to." Derek said looking at the floor, noticing a small patch of carpet that was lighter than the rest.

George patted his son on the back, Derek didn't have to say anymore. George had known for quite some time that Derek had feelings for Casey, he and Nora had been expecting them to get together. "Don't worry about finding a job Derek. Nora and I want you two to stay in school, and we want you to stay here. There's no rush." Derek managed to give George a small smile; George pulled Derek into a one armed hug. "Marti should be home soon, she should hear the new from you and Casey." Derek bobbed his head and watched his dad exit his room.

CASEY

Derek had come in to her room and laid down and wrapped her in his arms, Casey nuzzled into his neck with her arm draped over his chest. Derek played with her hair with one hand and rubbed her shoulder with the other. "Dad wants us to talk to Marti," Casey tightened her hold on Derek and kissed his throat, Derek sighed with contentment. "You know we don't have to tell her _as soon_ as she gets home," Derek said wriggling his eyebrows suggestively, Casey sat up "I will give you 30 seconds to give me the best kiss of my life," Casey said trying to sound sexy, "and then, we go find Marti." "Hmm," Derek said biting his lip pretending to think. "Challenge accepted,"

**Twenty** minutes later Derek and Casey were sitting on the floor of Marti's room with the little girl in front of them. When they got there she insisted that they have a tea party. Which wouldn't have been so bad if Marti wouldn't have insisted that Derek wear a straw hat with a giant sunflower on it, he was not amused but Casey had to stifle a giggle every time she looked at him. "Tell me why I'm the one who has to wear a girly hat?" Marti giggled, "Because it looks cute on you Smerek!" "Well, I can't argue with that, I am incredibly handsome all the time." Derek said winking at Casey who tried not to blush. After Marti had finished pouring the imaginary tea and serving cookies, which much to Casey's delight, were real; she was suddenly starving.

She grabbed a cookie and stuffed the whole thing in her mouth trying to ignore Marti's look of disgust. She swallowed hard, "Sorry, Marti." She said dusting the crumbs from her hands, Derek chuckled. "That was kind of hot Case," Casey's eyes shot over to Marti who was busy making sure her stuffed animals had enough tea and cookies. "Der-ek! Please," Casey whisper screamed, Derek smirked at her.

"Listen Smarti, we actually needed to talk to you about something." Derek said trying not to sound uncomfortable. "Casey and I are together now," Marti looked at them and smiled, "And?" Casey had a feeling that Marti knew something. "Ok, Smarts, what do you know?" Derek asked leaning back and crossing his arms. "What do you think I know?" Marti asked throwing a classic Venturi smirk at her brother. "Marti," Derek warned. "Well I didn't hear Lizzie and Edwin talking in the games closet if that's what you're asking," "Mhmm, and what didn't you hear?" "That you and Casey are having a baby!" Marti shouted while throwing herself at Casey and hugging her, Casey was surprised how tight she could grip and still being so small. "Gentle Smarti," Derek said pulling her off of Casey. "You have to be easy with Casey." "I'm not made of glass Derek," Derek scoffed. "It's ok to hug me if you want to Marti." Marti's eyes beamed as she reached out to Casey again.

DEREK

Listening to Casey and Marti talk about the baby made Derek's heart swell, and the fact that his Smarti was so excited about everything was all he needed at the moment.

He watched them while they sat on Marti's small twin bed, Marti putting her hands on Casey's belly from time to time, her stomach still flat, too early to be showing. Derek suddenly needed Casey to be near him, his heart felt like it was going to explode in his chest. He had loved Casey for a long time, but seeing her and hearing her be so excited about their baby was too much. He needed her in his arms, he needed to tell her he loved her. For once he didn't care that she might not feel exactly the same, she needed to know.

Derek walked to Marti's bed and bent down to kiss Casey roughly on the lips, when he pulled away she had a look of confusion on her face. When Derek started back toward the door Casey's eyes flashed with knowing. "Hey Marti, I'll be back in a few minutes." "Ok!" Marti yelled jumping off her bed and grabbed her crayons and paper.

Derek grabbed Casey's hand and led her back to his room and shut and locked the door. He sat next to Casey on the bed and looked at her for a moment, her blue eyes were dancing back and forth trying to look at each of his eyes. Casey leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, she kept pressing into him until Derek was almost laying down. He brought one hand to the back of her head to deepen the kiss, Casey kept pushing him down with her body weight. Once they were lying down Casey started to fiddle with the hem of his shirt. Derek sighed remembering why he wanted to get her alone.

He gently grabbed her hands and sat them up, Casey continued to pepper him with kisses. "Casey," Derek said between kisses, "Hmm?" Casey mumbled while kissing down his neck. "can we talk for a second?" Casey sighed in frustration but stopped and looked at him expectantly.

Derek took a deep breath, "I'm going to say a few things and I want to stay quiet until I'm done," Casey gave him a nod to continue. "I have been wanting to say this for a long time, but I've been too scared. Case, ever since you moved in with us you're all I think about. I fought with you because I knew I would never be able to have you, and fighting kept my mind off of how much I needed you in the moment. I messed around with all of those girls because I couldn't have you and it made me nuts, I haven't wanted anyone but you since I met you Case,"

Casey looked at him shock apparent on her face, "Derek," she whispered. "I have been wanting to tell you this for a long time and then we found out about the baby and I wasn't sure if you would believe me if I said it now," Derek paused to take a breath.

"I love you, Derek." Casey blurted out.

CASEY

The whole time Derek was trying to confess his feelings for Casey all she could think about was all the times they fought. Even though Derek had been slinging mean words to her she could see in his eyes that he was never truly angry with her. How he would stare at her when Sally or Kendra came over to visit, how he tried to scare away any guy that tried to even look at her. After all of these years his behavior was starting to make sense.

Casey had known that she felt the same way on some level for a long time. She had genuinely liked Sam and Max but once the excitement and newness had worn off she couldn't help but feel like she was betraying Derek in some way. In these last six months with Derek she had felt more with him than she had felt in her entire life.

It wasn't until Derek had started his confession did she realize that she had always loved him too. She had tried to ignore it, swallow it back down when it threatened to claw its way up. She tried to hate him, she wanted to hate him, but no matter how many girls came and went, no matter how many times they fought she just couldn't

And here he was saying all of these beautiful things to her and she couldn't stop herself from blurting out what she had just discovered.

"I love you, Derek."

To say that Derek looked shocked at Casey's sudden outburst would be a lie. In fact Casey couldn't tell if he was breathing at the moment, his eyes had grown so large they looked like they would fall out of his skull if someone hit him on the back of the head.

"Derek?" Casey said touching his face, he seemed to awaken at her touch and he sucked in a deep breath. The color was coming back to his cheeks. Casey leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. Derek's arms were around her waist in an instant. "I love you so much Casey." He said into her neck. "I love you too," Casey said kissing the top of his head. Derek sat up and kissed her, when he pulled away he placed his hand on her abdomen where the baby was. "Thank you," Casey looked into his eyes as they filled with moisture, "Is Derek Venturi crying?" she said wiping at the tears that were slowly starting to roll over his cheek, Derek rolled his eyes. "We're having a baby, you said you love me, I'm allowed to be a little emotional." "Are you sure you're not the one who's pregnant?" Casey said with an air of laughter to her voice. "Shut up and kiss me McDonald."

And she did.

**Thank you so much for reading! Please review and tell me what you think. I am constantly on my phone checking to see if I have new reviews, its like I'm a kid waiting for Christmas morning.**


	4. Chapter 4- 10 weeks

**Thank you guys for reading. I love getting on the computer to new reviews!**

Chapter Four- 10 weeks

CASEY

Casey and Derek have been living back home for two weeks and Derek is currently down stairs arguing with his dad about their sleeping arrangements. Since they have been home they had been taking turns staying in each other's rooms, Marti came to wake Derek up for breakfast and seen them sleeping in his bed. Casey was very thankful she was too tired to do anything last night.

Casey goes to the stairs to listen to Derek and George argue.

"_Derek, you need to remember that your younger siblings are impressionable." Derek laughs. "Dad, they all know Casey is pregnant." "That is beside the point Derek, Marti doesn't need to be walking into your rooms and seeing you in bed together." "Are you of all people telling me how to be discreet? That's funny." "What are you talking about Derek?" George says clearly frustrated. "It has been brought to my attention that you and Nora have neglected to lock your door on several occasions. And poor innocent Marti has seen things that no little Smarti should ever have to see." _Casey can almost hear him shudder. George is quiet for a second. _"Just, lock your door from now on." George says awkwardly._

Casey hears footsteps up the stairs and watches Derek come into view, he smiles when he sees her standing there. "Did Marti really walk in on my mom and George?" "No," Derek says laughing. "You're terrible," Casey says slightly laughing with him. "Oh, I'm terrible huh?" Derek says pulling her to him, Casey smiles "Uh huh," "Would you be willing to kiss a terrible albeit devilishly handsome man?" Casey reach up on her tip toes and kisses Derek tenderly on the lips.

DEREK

Derek is at his computer trying to type up an essay for his English course, but his eyes keep roaming over to Casey on his bed as she brushes her hair. He shakes his head and turns back to the monitor, he sees her move in his peripheral vision so he turns to watch her, she is now sitting on the bed with one leg up and one leg down on the ground and _Dear God, she rubbing lotion on her leg._ He watches her as she switches to the other leg, then she walks over to him and kisses him on the cheek. "Night Derek," she doesn't say it in a particular tone but he's worked up anyway.

"Are you seriously going to sleep?" Casey gives him a perplexed look. "It's midnight Derek, I have a doctor's appointment in the morning." "You can't tell me that after that show you just put on you're not trying something," "What are you talking about?" "C'mon Case, sitting on the bed suggestively brushing your hair," "_Suggestively brushing my hair_?" "The lotion, and _'Night Derek'_" Derek says trying to sound like a girl. "Oh please," Derek rolls his eyes. "Well, if my presence is that _distracting_ to you perhaps you'll be more comfortable sleeping alone tonight?" Casey asks popping up her eyebrow. "Well, let's not make any rash decisions there Casey." He says walking over to her. "If you want to lotion up your legs who am I to stop you, hmm?" Derek puts his hands on her hips and leans in to kiss her, when their lips are about to touch Casey clears her throat. "Is your essay done?" Derek quietly mumbles "No," "Good night Derek," Casey says patting his head and climbing into bed.

"You're an evil woman Casey McDonald,"

CASEY

"Are you sure you can't come today?" Casey asks as Derek is getting his book bag ready. "I have an oral presentation, and my professor said absolutely no extensions." "It's ok, they're just checking to see that I'm measuring right and we'll hear the baby's heartbeat." Casey knows that Derek needs to do his presentation but she really wants him there. "I'm sorry Case," he says kissing her forehead. "Your mom and Lizzie will be there, I'll be at the next one ok?" "You better be," "I promise," Derek says rubbing barely there bump. Derek gives her a quick kiss and heads out the door.

"Casey McDonald?" A nurse calls her name, Nora and Lizzie follow her to the exam room. "The doctor will be in to see you soon," The nurse smiles at them and then closes the door. "I'm excited!" Lizzie squealed clapping her hands. Casey smiled, she was excited too. It's not that she wasn't grateful that her mother and Lizzie were there, she just wanted Derek to be there too.

The doctor came in and introduced herself to the three of them. "Alright Casey, lay down on the table and lift your shirt. I'm going to make sure you're uterus is measuring right and then we'll go on to the baby's heartbeat, if you want you can use your cellphone and record it so daddy can listen to it later." "Lizzie, can you get my phone out of my bag and start recording when we're ready?" Lizzie got the phone and waited for the doctor to say when they were going to hear the heartbeat.

"Alright Casey, everything feels fine, let's hear how the munchkin sounds, alright? Ready over there?" The doctor asks looking over to Lizzie. Lizzie stands up and walks over to Casey and gets the phone ready. "Ok," The doctor squirts some jelly on Casey's stomach and gets the Doppler in place. Within a few seconds there was a quite thumping. "That's your baby," Casey started to softly cry, it was real now, she couldn't feel the baby move but hearing that small heartbeat was her proof that it was there. Nora squeezed her hand. "Nice and strong," the doctor said taking the device off Casey's belly and wiping the goo from her stomach.

After she was cleaned up Nora helped her sit up on the table, the doctor scribbled a few things in her chart, "So it looks like we'll see you next month, we'll do an ultra sound to get a visual on baby's development, make sure you tell your boyfriend it's one of the fun appointments so he can be here, Alright, we'll see you next month." "Thank you," All three ladies called out after the doctor.

DEREK

Casey had texted Derek and told him to come home as soon as he could, he stopped at the store and bought her some Oreos because he noticed the she was out.

When Derek got home Edwin, his dad, Marti, Nora and Lizzie were all huddled around Casey on the couch, "Hey guys, everything ok?" They all had stupid smiles on their faces, even Edwin. "Derek, you gotta listen to this!" Marti said bouncing on the couch next to Casey. "Alright, Smarti." Derek laughed scooping his sister off the couch, sitting next to Casey with Marti on his lap. "So, what are we listening to?" Derek asked looking at Casey's phone. "Your baby's heartbeat," Casey beamed at him. "You couldn't be there so we recorded it." Casey fumbled with her phone and pressed a button. There was a muffled thumping and he could hear Casey quietly crying in the background. Derek stared at Casey in awe, "That's the baby?" Casey nodded and smiled at Derek, he placed his hand over the small bump on her belly. "This is really happening huh?" Casey head a tear in her eye, "It's really happening."

Derek kissed her, "I love you," he whispered against her lips, Casey pulled away and rested her forehead on his. "I love you too," Derek remembering that they weren't alone look around at his family Nora was crying while everyone else either smiled at them or averted their eyes, "Hey, lets all go out to dinner!" George said enthusiastically, there was a loud chorus of 'yeahs' from the younger kids, "Sounds great George," Casey said standing up from the couch, Casey started toward the stairs but stalled as George was standing in the way of the only exit from the living room to the stairs. Casey shifted her weight, George realized he was blocking her way and walked towards her and wrapped her in a tight hug. This was the first time Derek had seen his dad hug Casey since the wedding and Casey seemed to be just as shocked at this as he was, her arms were limp at her sides for a moment before she awkwardly patted his back with both hands. George released her from his arms but kept his hands on her shoulders, he smiled and touched the side of her head and then turned to go to the kitchen.

Casey turned to her mom raising her eyebrow. "He's just happy sweetie, you're having his grand baby." Casey smiled and walked up the stairs.

CASEY

"So I was thinking that you and Casey could move into one of the rooms together and when the time comes we could turn the other into a nursery." Nora said sipping her water. It would make sense for them to do that, they were sleeping with each other every night since they had found out she was pregnant, but neither had thought to actually move into one room. Derek looked over to Casey, he didn't look entirely opposed to the idea, but Casey knew this wasn't going to be easy. Derek would most likely throw a fit over wanting to stay in his room and of course Casey would give in, she didn't care where she slept just as long as Derek was next to her. But those ridiculous posters of half-naked women would have to go.

But before either could answer Nora the waiter had come with their food, Casey went the safe route and ordered a hamburger and fries. She took a bite and all seemed well, she took another bite and got a mouthful of pickles and onions. Her stomach started to churn, she tried to breathe through the nausea but could feel her stomach muscles started to contract. Casey jumped out of her seat, "Are you alright, honey?" Nora asked standing up as well. "I'm fine, um, excuse me." Casey ran toward the bathrooms.

After cleaning herself up Casey stepped out of the bathroom and paused in the hallway to catch her breath, "Casey?" She looked up and seen her old boyfriend. "Oh my gosh, Truman. Hi! How are you?" Casey said stepping in to give him a quick hug. "I'm doing great, I came back to see my parent's for a few days. How are you?" Casey smiled widely "Wonderful, I found out I'm pregnant a few weeks ago." Casey said her smile growing wider. Truman stepped away like she was on fire. "Oh," he said sounding a little disappointed, just then Derek rounded the corner, he stopped in between Casey and Truman. "Are you alright?" Derek asked touching her cheek, not even noticing who Casey was talking to before he showed up. "I'm fine Derek," Casey replied touching the hand that was on her face.

"So you and Venturi huh?" Truman asked shuffling his feet, Derek's features turned cold and his eyes hardened at the sound of Truman's voice. Derek turned around facing Truman and slung his arm over Casey's shoulder, this little action bothered Casey, she knew he wasn't doing it as a gesture of affection; he was being territorial. "Oh hey there Truman buddy, how's it going? Kiss any of your girlfriends cousins lately?" "Derek," Casey said sternly. "Oh I'm sorry you seemed pretty chummy with Truman here, I was just wondering if you forgot what a piece of scum he was." Casey pulled his arm off her shoulder and stepped away. "You're an idiot, we were talking about me being pregnant Derek. Do you really think I would let him try and make a pass at me?" "Well. I don't think you being pregnant is going to stop him," "And what? You think I'm just going to let him?" When Derek didn't say anything Casey turned around and walked back to the table and grabbed her purse and took the car keys out of Derek's jacket pocket.

Derek was making his way back to the table as Casey was heading to the door, "I'll see you at home Derek." Casey said brushing past him and going outside.

_Dammit, you're such a jackass._ Derek thought to himself.

DEREK

The rest of dinner was awkward, everyone knew he did something to piss Casey off but no one asked any questions.

Derek was quite the whole way home, how the heck was he going to fix this? Of course he didn't think Casey would let Truman hit on her, Just seeing them standing next to each other brought him back to high school when he had to endure two months of them kissing on the couch and then watching him break her heart. He didn't mean to be a jerk tonight, and now Casey was mad at him.

When they got home Derek went up the stairs and seen that her door was closed. He turned the knob, locked.

_Yep, a giant jackass_.

**Don't worry, Casey wont stay mad for long. Who can resist Derek Venturi? ;)**


	5. Chapter 5- 14 weeks

**Here's the next chapter, Oh I spoil you guys.**

Chapter Five- 10 Weeks

CASEY

_Stupid Derek, I'm having HIS baby, Truman is the last person I wanted to see again; I was just trying to be nice. How could he possibly think that I would allow Truman, let alone anyone else hit on me? _

Casey had laid in her bed for hours thinking the same thing, tossing and turning and not being able to sleep. She had heard when Derek tried to open her door only to find out it was locked but she was still angry at him.

_Ugh! Why can't I sleep without him?_ Casey sat up and looked at the alarm clock, it was almost 3am. _I'll just go in there and sleep, sleep sounds so good, I bet Derek is nice and warm. Stop. You're angry at him, remember Casey?_

Casey threw off her blankets and opened her door and walked to Derek's room. He left the door open, most likely to show her that he wanted to come if she woke up some time in the night. _He is a jackass,_ Casey smiled looking at him sleeping, limbs splayed all over the bed and his hair in in face. _But he's my jackass._

Casey quietly walked over to her side of the bed and got in trying to avoid laying on his arm or leg. She wiggled closer to him and draped his arm over her, a few moments later Derek pulled her closer to him. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. "I know you are," Casey said in the darkness. "I called Truman and apologized about tonight." This surprised Casey, she knew how much Derek hated Truman. "You make it really hard to stay mad at you, you know." "Is it because I'm so charming?" Derek said kissing her cheek. "Something like that," Casey said rolling over and resting her head on his chest.

DEREK- 14 Weeks

Casey had reminded him about today's appoint every day for a week, he knew there was nothing to be worried about. Casey was fine, but there was something about being able to see the baby that had his stomach twisted up in knots.

He had already thrown up twice and was sitting on the edge of the bed trying to stop the room from spinning.

"Derek, it's going to be fine. The baby is going to be perfect, they just want to see how things are going. Really," Casey laughed. "I haven't seen you this worked up since you played hockey in high school." Casey put her hand under his chin so he would look at her. "There is nothing to be worried about, we get to see our baby today, please relax." Casey said leaning in to kiss him, she took his hand and stood them both up. Casey stretched when she was finally standing upright, she had to finally buy some maternity pants and her belly had really popped out over the last few weeks.

Derek walked behind her and put his hands gently on her belly and rested his head on her shoulder. Casey put her hands on his. "Ready?" Casey asked turning her head to try and see him, "Yeah," Derek said nodding his head and kissing her shoulder.

Casey was laying on the table waiting for the ultrasound technician to get everything set up, Derek reached for her hand and kissed her fingers.

The technician squirt some blue goo on her and turned a machine on, she put some kind of device on Casey's abdomen and turned a big screen on for them to see. After a second an image came into focus, and there it was. Derek thought it looked a little weird at first but then it started dancing around the screen, Casey squeezed his hand, Derek kissed her hand in response. Derek watched in amazement at the baby stretching and twirling, moving its arms and legs and generally not cooperating with what the technician was trying to capture. Derek grinned, _a handful already_ he thought.

"Well, if the little guy would turn around the other way I might be able to make a guess as to what it is if you'd like." The tech said looking at both of them. "Isn't it a little soon?" Casey asked. "A little, but we might be able to see something." Derek looked at Casey. "What do you think Der?" "I don't think it would hurt to get an idea of what it is." Casey smiled and nodded her head. "Ok," "Alright, let's see if we can get the baby to move." The tech moved the device over Casey's stomach to try and get a better view. "Alright, do you see that right there?" She asked pointing to the monitor. Casey and Derek strained their eyes to see what she was pointing out to them, "Not really," Casey admitted, "Well, that right there… looks like boy parts to me," The tech said winking at Derek.

"I told you Case, we Venturi's have boys first," Derek leaned in closer. "It's our special baby making magic," He said kissing her cheek, Casey blushed and playfully swatted him away. "But right now it's just a guess, I don't want to tell you anything for sure." "Yeah, yeah, it's a boy." Derek said poking Casey in the sides. "Der-ek! Don't do that, I have to pee!"

CASEY

Derek had decided that they needed to go celebrate, he was as good as convinced the baby was a boy so he felt the need to rub the fact that he was right in Casey's face.

"I really, don't know why you doubt me McDonald. I don't make girls, I'm too much of a man to have impregnated you with a girl." Derek said smirking at her from across the table. "Being 'too much of a man' has nothing to do with the gender outcome of a baby, Derek." "So you admit that I am very manly?" Derek asked grinning mischievously at her. "Whatever gets you through the day, love." Casey said playfully slapping his cheek. "Oh you wound me, Case. I really don't know how I'm going to bounce back from that scathing insult to my manhood."

"I'm sure you'll get over it soon enough," Casey decided on a salad, that seemed harmless enough, right? Wrong. The second the ranch dressing had touched her lips she had to make a run for the restroom.

"Oh, I hope you know how much I love you," Casey said rubbing her belly as she sat on the floor by the toilet. "It would be nice if you let me eat something, anything. Just tell me what you want and I'll get it, I promise." Casey thought she felt a slight flutter under her hand, Casey stilled herself to see if she would feel it again. After a minute when she didn't feel anything she lightly rubbed her stomach. "Was that you?" she whispered, there was a small flutter in response.

Casey quickly got off the floor and washed her hands and rinsed out her mouth and headed back out to the dining room of the restaurant. Derek was at the table trying his best to stuff his hamburger in his mouth in one bite. "Derek!" Casey said a bit too loudly causing him to jump and almost choke on the food in his mouth. "Jeez Case!" Derek said wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand. "I felt the baby move!" Casey squealed. Derek's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Really?" He exclaimed jumping out of his seat and putting his hand to her tummy.

"I don't know if you'll be able to feel it now, I was sitting down in the bathroom." Derek gave her a funny look, not moving his hand away. "You were sitting on the bathroom floor? A PUBLIC bathroom floor?" Derek questioned with his eyebrow raised. "I had just gotten done puke up my guts, I wasn't exactly thinking about what could possibly be on the ground…" And now she was, it was almost enough to make her want to throw up again. "Can we go home now? I can feel all kinds of diseases crawling all over me," Derek chuckled. "Sure thing, Princess."

DEREK

While Casey was in the shower Derek was hard at work making sure that she would be comfortable when she got out. He had taken the pillows from her room, Edwin's room and Lizzie's room, he arranged them on her side of the bed and waited for her to get out.

He had read on the internet while she was in the shower that just because Casey could feel the baby it didn't mean that he would be able to, the baby was still quite small. But he was sure as heck going to try.

Casey came into the room a few minutes later and walked up behind Derek who was still reading about baby things on the internet. "See right here, Case? It says that it is possible to tell what the gender is now." Casey groaned. "Are we still on that? I seen the blurry bits the technician pointed out, I have come to terms that-" "I was right?" Derek said spinning around facing Casey, before she could respond with something sarcastic Derek took her hand and helped her sit on the bed with all of the pillows incasing her.

"Derek," Casey chortled "What is all of this for?" Derek began tucking pillows around her here and there. "I wanted to see if I could feel the baby, and I wanted you to relax." "Ok, but don't be disappointed if you can't feel it, I haven't felt it since the restaurant." Derek plopped down next to her and put his hand on her middle and waited. "Derek," Casey whispered. "Shh," Derek shot back. "I have to go to the bathroom," "5 minutes," Derek put his head near her belly, "Hey, I would really like it if you would do something." "I think it's too early for the baby to hear you, Derek." "Will you be quite?" he said snickering. "I am trying to see if my future MVP with move for me." "Look, this is very sweet but I don't think- did you feel that?" "I might have if you weren't distracting me," "Sorry."

Derek and Casey were silent for what seemed like forever and Derek was about to give up when he felt the faintest movement under Casey's shirt. His face was beaming. "Was that it?" Casey smiled down at him. "Yeah, pretty cool huh?"

Derek smiled at her and crawled up the bed to kiss her, he shoved the pillows off the bed because they were getting in his way, and once the obstacles were removed he went back to his post at her lips. Casey wrapped one of her arms around his neck and the other around his lower back. Derek moved so he was hovering above her so he wasn't crushing her belly, Casey slid her hand up the back of his shirt and raked her nails along his back. Derek moved down to her neck and continued kissing her, he had just untied her shorts when Casey stopped him. "Derek, she panted "I told Lizzie I would take her to the mall soon."

Derek growled and rolled off Casey, _stupid Lizzie. _Casey could see Derek pouting next to her, laying on his back with his arms crossed over his chest. She took his face in both of her hands and kissed him deeply. "When I come home I promise I'll make this up to you ok?" "Uh huh," Derek grumbled. "I love you," Casey said kissing his neck just under his jaw, Derek relaxed under the kiss. "I love you too,"

CASEY

Casey walked over to Lizzie's bedroom door and knocked waited a second and then opened the door. Lizzie was sitting on her bed flipping through a magazine. "Ready to go Liz?" Lizzie looked up at her sister and smiled. "I've been ready, just waiting for you to detach your face from Derek's." Lizzie said shuddering at the last part. "Get out to the car," Casey said tugging on Lizzie's hair as she passed her in the door way.

Casey was resting in a chair at the food court after Lizzie had dragged her around the mall for two hours. "Here," Lizzie said sliding a chocolate milkshake over to Casey. "Thank you, Lizzie." Casey said taking a sip. Casey noticed a shop that they haven't been to yet, it was a store where you could customize shirts. "Let's go there next Liz," Casey said pointing to the store.

Casey and Lizzie were looking around the store when Casey came across a blue onesie with white trim around the neck and arm holes, getting an idea Casey took it to the counter.

DEREK

Left to his own devices after Casey had so rudely left him during a moment he found himself back on the computer. It had started with how the baby was developing but had quickly turned into a horror story as he read all of the bad things that can happen to Casey during pregnancy. _Stretch marks, skin tags, skin discoloration. _Derek shuddered. _That's enough reading for now,_ Derek thought as he turned off the computer.

He heard the front door open and close and the sounds of Casey and Lizzie laughing. Derek rubbed his hands together maniacally knowing this his reward for being a _very_ understanding boyfriend was on its way up the stairs.

Derek darted to his bed and dropped on it waiting for Casey to come in. Casey opened the door carrying a small green bag, spying Derek on the bed she smiled. "I bought you something." Derek sat up and held out his hands "Ooh, is this something I can wear?" Derek eyeballed her up and down. "Or perhaps something you can wear?" "Just open it," Casey said sitting next to him.

Derek opened the bag and pulled out the small blue fabric, unfolding it he saw that it was a onesie with the Toronto Maple Leafs logo on the front. Derek smiled at her. "Turn it over," Casey said nudging his arm. Derek flipped it over and smoothed out the fabric, the back said 'Venturi' in bold white letters and had his jersey number from high school. "Case, this is probably the coolest thing you have ever given me." "You mean besides my innocence?" Casey taunted, Derek rolled his eyes in response. "So do you like it?" "Of course, at least a Venturi finally has his name on a Leafs jersey." He leaned over and kissed her. "Thank you, I love it."

**I was fully intending on having Casey snub Derek for a while, but they're supposed to be older and little more mature now, so I had him call Truman and say he was sorry, and Casey is always a sucker for when Derek admits he's wrong. I will try and get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Please review :)**


	6. Chapter 6- 20 weeks

**I am still overwhelmed by the response to this story. I love seeing how many of you are reading every day and I LOVE getting reviews from you guys.**

Chapter Six- 20 weeks

CASEY

The family had gone out for the morning, except for Edwin. He apparently was overheard making fun of a teacher with a lazy eye, he insists that he was telling the other kid to be quite. Casey believed him, she has never known Edwin to be particularly nasty; but George and Nora having their hands full with Marti took the easy route and grounded him instead of trying to get to the bottom of things.

Derek had a class that morning so it was just Casey and Edwin at the house, Casey had finished eating cereal as Edwin was making himself scrambled eggs. "So Edwin, how's uh, Annie?" "_Amy,_ and she's fine. I was going to see if she wanted to come to dinner tonight so dad and Nora can meet her." Edwin said blushing; Edwin and Amy had been hanging out for a few weeks, Casey was excited to see Edwin like a girl enough to bring her over to the freak show that was their family. "Aww, Ed, that's so cute!" She said pinching his cheek, Edwin rolled his eyes, but didn't try to stop her.

"I'm going to do some laundry, please clean up the kitchen." "Sure, sure." Edwin replied shoveling eggs into his mouth. Casey went to the sink and cleaned her bowl and headed up the stairs and walked to her and Derek's room. She gathered all of the clothes that Derek just can't manage to get into the basket and made her way down the hallway. As she neared the stairs she heared the TV flick on, "Edwin, will you please clean up your mess in the kitchen before you start watching TV?" she hollers, as her foot touches the top step her foot twists under her weight and she rolls down the whole flight of stairs landing unconscious face down at the bottom.

Edwin watching in horror as Casey tumbles down the stairs like a doll from his seat on the couch leaps to his feet and runs over to her. "Casey?" He says lightly rubbing her shoulder, when she doesn't respond Edwin ran to the kitchen to get the cordless dialing 911 as he ran back to Casey's limp body.

DEREK

Derek was browsing the glass cases, getting lost in a sea of diamond rings. He had dropped to part time in school and was working at a restaurant the next town over since they had moved back; he hadn't told anyone because he knew his dad would flip. He had saved up enough money to get Casey a nice ring.

Sighing about to give up, all of the rings looked the same; nothing looked special enough for Casey, when a plump middle aged lady appeared next to him. "Popping the question sweetie?" she asked in a motherly tone. "Yeah," Derek nervously chuckled rubbing his neck. "Why don't you tell me about her?" Derek blushed. "She's a neat freak, she's bossy, she's obsessed with Jane Austen and she loves to do ballet." Derek answers smiling. "Hmm, I think I just might have something," "Be gentle Ms. I am a college student." Derek said winking at the lady at the counter, the lady smiles and heads into a back room.

She emerges with a small box in her hands. "This, has been in our store for years, I found it too special to just sell to anyone." She opens the box and sets the ring on the counter. Derek picks it up to get a closer look, it's made of black hills gold with small pink diamonds running down each side of the band, a decent sized round pink diamond in the center, It is perfectly Casey. He frowns when he sees there is no price tag. "How much?" He asks raising his eyebrow and the woman. "$300," "You can't be serious, there is no way this ring is only worth $300." _Will you shut up? Obviously this woman is giving you a huge deal here. Perhaps she got married young as well,_ "Fine, $310." She says smiling at him. Derek is dumbfounded. "That ring is easily worth a grand, but like I said- I didn't want to just sell it to anyone." "I, uh, I'll take it." Derek says setting the ring on the counter.

With the ring box tucked into his pocket he leaves the little store, he is too engrossed in a day dream of seeing Casey tonight he almost misses the phone ringing in his pocket. Looking at the caller I.D. he sees its Edwin. "Edwin my man, what's up?" Edwin lets out a shaky breath. "Derek, its Casey. She had an accident at the house, were on our way to the hospital. You need to get there now." Derek hung up the phone and ran the two blocks where he parked his car and sped off to the hospital.

By the time he gets to the hospital the whole family is in the waiting room waiting for him, Nora is the first one to see him, she rushes over to him and hugs him tightly. "Is she ok?" He asks looking desperately at each family member. Lizzie is sitting in a corner by herself sobbing, Edwin is pacing in front of the water fountain, Marti is curled up in Georges lap crying. "They think she's going to be ok, but they took her into surgery," Nora says trying not to break down again. "The baby is under a lot of stress and his heart rate has dropped, they're doing an emergency caesarean," Derek sinks to the ground taking Nora with him. "She's only 20 weeks, it's too soon! Isn't there anything else they can do?" Derek yells. George sets Marti in the chair next to him and kneels next to Derek and Nora, putting a hand on his sons shoulder. "The fall also caused internal bleeding, if they don't take the baby she could have died Derek,"

Derek lunges face first onto the tiled floor and lets out a strangled scream while banging his fists on the ground until George and Nora drag him to a chair. Nora sits next to him and leans him into her side over the arm rest and holds him awkwardly stroking his hair and letting him cry into her shoulder.

After what seems like forever a doctor comes out in scrubs and motions for the family to come over, Derek is up on his feet and in front of the doctor before any of his family can make it out of their chairs. "Derek?" The doctor questions looking at him in the eye, "Yeah, that's me. Is she alright? The baby?" The rest of the family stands behind Derek waiting for the doctor to speak. "She's going to be fine," The doctor pauses and takes a deep breath. "But I'm afraid we couldn't save the baby, he was just too small." The doctor says putting his hand on Derek's shoulder and giving him a sympathetic squeeze. Derek bites back the tears threatening to spill out. "Can I see her?"

The doctor leads Derek down a maze of hallways and doorways before they get to the recovery room, the doctor stops before they enter. "I know this is very hard on you Mr. Venturi, but you should know that Casey's hasn't said a word since we told her the news, she hasn't cried, she hasn't done anything. She's in shock, and she might also be in denial." Derek nods his head and pushes the door open.

Casey is in a bed at the end of the room staring at the wall in front of her, Derek gives himself a moment to control himself before he goes to her. He sits on the bed next her, she doesn't take her ghostly gaze away from the wall in front of her. "Casey," Derek says softly, touching her hand. She doesn't even acknowledge his presence. Derek takes hold of her hand and kisses it, her skin is cold and she stares unflinching at that damned wall. Derek scoots closer to her and touches her face and hair trying to capture her gaze. Her once piercing blue eyes are empty, the life behind them completely gone.

Derek wipes away the tears in his eyes and puts his head on her shoulder. He leans back and grabs her face in his hands. "Casey, you have to look at me." Her eyes dart to his and her fierce gaze startles him that he lets go of her head. "You were right," She says unblinking. Derek touches her cheek. "Right about what Case?" "They said it was a boy," her body starts to shake. "We were going to have a little boy," Casey's body is shaking so violently Derek is afraid that she's having a seizure, and that's when the screaming started.

Nurses and doctors rush in pushing Derek out of the away, Casey is thrashing on the bed pushing and kicking anyone who touches her. A nurse comes over with a syringe and a few doctors manage to hold her down so the nurse can sedate her.

Derek is practically catatonic at this point, he is still trying to absorb that their baby is gone and seeing Casey behaving this way has unnerved him. Casey never loses control, she is all about order, even when Derek and Casey used to fight she had never lost control over herself like this. Seeing her lose control makes Derek lose himself. He slumps against the wall and his vision goes dark.

Derek finally comes to a few hours later, he's lying in a bed in a small hospital room. George is sitting in a chair at the foot of his bed reading the paper, Derek sits up. "Easy Derek," George says putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "I need to see her, dad." "They're going to keep her overnight for observation, rest for a bit, then you can see her." Derek remembering the way she freaked out after he got her to speak to him slumps down back on the bed. He didn't want to cause her to do that again, He would sleep for now, but be would go see her as soon as he woke up.

When he wakes up his dad is gone and his room is dark, Derek quietly makes his way out the door and tries to orient himself. He remembers passing the nursing station that was in front of him on his way to the recovery room. He turns right and continues down the hallway and until he reaches the door he is seeking.

Pushing the door open he sees that Casey is in the same bed she was when he last seen her, she is curled into the fetal position facing away from him; Derek walks over and gently climbs into the bed with her, he wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her closer to him. He can feel Casey move slightly under his arm, but she makes no effort to turn and face him. He kisses her shoulder and she begins to cry, and grips her hand tightly over his arm. Derek cries into her hair, they hold each other all night consumed by their grief until they both fall into a restless sleep.

**Two weeks later**

"I don't know what to do, dad." Derek says pulling at his hair in frustration. "She won't talk to me, she's locked herself in her old room and won't even let Nora or Lizzie in to see her."

_They pulled into the driveway after Casey was discharged from the hospital, Derek got out of the back seat of the minivan and helped Casey walk inside the house. Derek had turned to drop her back on the ground and when he turned around she was gone. He ran up the stairs and seen that the door to her old room was closed. He tried to open it but it was locked, he stood there and knocked on the door for twenty minutes begging her to let him in, the only thing he could hear was her sniffling behind the door._

_Every day for two weeks Derek was at that door talking to her, trying to coax her out. No one has seen her since they been home, he knows she's still alive because he can hear her crying at night. And he knows she's been eating because there is always a plate and glass outside of her door come morning._

"Just give her some time Derek," George said.

But Derek was done waiting. _He needed her damnit._ _He needed to hold her and see those big blue eyes. He needed Casey back._ He stormed in to the garage and grabbed every tool he could get his hands on, he marched back up the stairs and started prying at the knob, not caring if he broke the dang thing.

He finally got the door open and looked around the room, she was huddled under the blankets watching him. He walked over to the bed and sat on his knees so he was level with her, he reached out to touch her hand but she recoiled from him. "Casey, talk to me please." "Derek," she closed her eyes as she whispered his name. "Go away please." "No, Casey. I've given you your time. We need to talk, you have shut me out for two weeks Case, I need you!" He said hitting the side of the bed in exasperation.

"How can I be there for you Derek when it kills me to even look at you?" She shouts sitting up in the bed. Derek sits next to her and takes her hand, she tries to pull it away but he holds tight. "Case," He said in a softer tone. "I have tried to come to you many times Derek, but I just couldn't. I knew I shouldn't have been carrying that basket, I knew it was too heavy. But I just had to get that room cleaned. I should have asked Edwin to help me, but I didn't." "Casey," Derek says putting a hand under her chin to get her to look at him but she jerks away. "I can't look at you Derek! I look at you and all I see is sadness in your eyes and I know it's my fault!" She says pushing away from him. Derek grabs her and brings her in to his arms. She squirms trying to get away from him. "It's my fault he's gone," "Casey, please don't think that." "It's true isn't it? 'Klutzy Casey' trips over air. 'Klutzilla' at it again. I had no business carrying that damn basket Derek." "It was an accident Casey," He says touching her hair. "You wouldn't have fallen down the stairs," "Case," Derek says quietly. "Please just go, Derek." She says not looking at him a tear sliding her cheek.

"No," he says holding her tighter. "Derek, please." "I'm not going anywhere Casey." "Dang it Derek, why don't you understand that I can't be near you? I see the baby when I look at you. I see this whole future that we won't have because of me, I can't forgive myself for this. Please just go,"

"Derek, you don't have to go, just give her some time." Nora said stopping him from getting in his car. Derek sighs and tries and fails to hold back the tears, "I've tried Nora, she blames herself and I'm hurting her by being here." "You don't think you're hurting her more by leaving?" She says closing the car door after he opened it. "What about me, huh? I have been trying for over a month to get her to understand that it wasn't her fault. That was my baby too dammit! And I don't see anyone but you trying to stop me from leaving." Derek said tears fully flowing now, Nora tried to hug him but he pushed her out of the way and got in the car and drove away.

**This chapter was very hard for me to write, I knew everyone was expecting this to be a feel good story but I had planned this from the beginning. It broke my heart to read reviews from you guys saying that you were loving how things were going when I knew what was going to happen next. I tried really hard with this chapter but I'm afraid it didn't live up to my expectations for it as I got very emotional while writing it. And I knew that you guys wouldn't be happy with these turn of events.**

**Please don't lose faith in this story, I promise you a happy ending.**

**Please review and tell me what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you guys for reading. Things get better in this chapter. **

Chapter Seven

It has been almost two months since she lost the baby, two months of ignoring Derek's phone calls, two months of hiding from her family and two months since she felt life stir inside her. Casey is broken, on the rare occasion she comes out of her room everyone is too afraid to say anything to her. Last night Edwin asked Marti if she wanted some baby carrots for a snack and Casey had a meltdown.

Derek calls every few days to see how she's doing, he dares to ask whomever answered the phone if Casey will speak with him; the answer is always no.

Casey dropped out of college, she can't bring herself to leave the house.

Nora says she needs to talk about it, so she made Casey an appointment with a therapist.

Doctor Williams is an interesting man, bald as a cue ball and a gray beard that Santa Clause would envy. He greets Casey at the beginning of their session and asks if she feels like talking today. She shakes her head weakly and sits back in her chair, Doctor Williams does a cross word.

The sessions go on like this for weeks, _"Hi, Casey. Feel like talking today?" "Alright see you Thursday." _Casey doesn't mind. It's nice to be able to sit in a room with someone who doesn't have prying eyes or tries to force a conversation.

Today something happened- not a big something but it was a start. After the usual greeting and subsequent shake of her head when Doctor Williams says goodbye Casey pauses at the door and utters a simple "Thank you,"

At the next session it took Casey until it was almost time to leave to finally offer something. Doctor Williams had been so shocked that she spoke that he kindly asked her to repeat herself.

"I never wanted to love him you know." She says fiddling with her fingers.

"Derek?" Doctor Williams asks. Casey nods her head in reply.

"Care to talk about that?" he presses

"He was everything I _wasn't_ looking for. He's cocky, egotistical, over baring and way too opinionated, but-" Casey pauses, she can feel the cracks in her wall coming.

"He just kind of stopped being all of those things when he was with me, really with me. I mean he was still all of those things but he was so loving and attentive and just everything I never thought he could be." Casey takes in a sharp breath to clear the aching in her chest.

The timer goes off.

Casey stands up and goes to the door. "Thank you," Doctor Williams gives her a small smile.

After her small break though Casey is able to tolerate sitting down to dinner with the family, she doesn't off anything to the conversation and no one presses her to talk.

Today had been a tough session with Doctor Williams. He pushed and pushed her to talk about why she was there.

"You know why I'm here, I'm sure my mother told you." Casey says looking out the window.

"Yes, your mother did tell me why _she_ thought you should come. But I wanted to know what you think."

Casey is quite for a long time, Doctor Williams is about to start his cross word with Casey pipes up.

"He used to tease me,"

"Who teased you about what?" he inquires setting the booklet down.

"Derek, growing up; he would tease me without mercy about being a klutz. One time I had tripped over a chair on my way to sit down at lunch, he somehow organized the whole cafeteria to all stand up and shout "Klutz!" for three weeks it didn't matter where I was in the school if I tripped every single kid would stop what they were doing say "Klutz!" and then go back to doing what they were doing before I fell."

"Did the teasing continue after you started a relationship?"

"No, it seemed like as soon as we got to university he was different. We would still fight, but he treated me differently."

"How so?"

"He was still rude to me in front of his friends, but he would always find me after and do something nice." Casey chuckles.

"One time after he was particularly rude to me he found me in the library a few hours later and said that he had to go to a play downtown for a project in his creative writing class, and he didn't want to go alone so he figured "a super keener" like me would be able to tell him what was going on. When I asked a mutual friend of ours who shares the class with Derek why she hadn't gone to the play she said that going to the play was never a requirement." Casey softly smiles.

"Did you ask Derek why he lied about that?"

Casey shook her head. "No,"

"Can you tell me how you guys got together?"

Casey stares at the therapist for a moment

"There wasn't a discussion or agreement if that's what you're asking," Casey says shifting in her seat. "It started because it was convenient and we stayed together because I was pregnant."

"Is that what you really believe?"

_They had just finished watching a movie, it was getting late so Derek decided that he should probably be leaving. Casey followed him to the door so she could lock it when he left. _

_Once he was gone Casey turned to her small table and begin cleaning up the pizza boxes and paper plates. Noticing that the can was full she pulled out the bag and took the pizza boxes to the door so she could throw them down the trash shoot down the hall. When she opened the door Derek was standing there._

"_Jeez, Derek! You scared me to death." Casey sighed. He looked at her for moment before a smile spread on his lips, he crossed the threshold and slammed the door behind him. "Derek, what the hell are you doing?" Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips against hers._

_Casey rid her hands of the pizza boxes and garbage bag and moved her hands to his neck and grabbed a handful of his hair._

_Derek scooped her up and laid her down on the bed, moving his lips to her neck he began to unbutton her shirt while Casey disposed of his jacket._

_Casey was nervous, this was going to be her first time. -Surely Derek didn't know that, it's not like they talked about things like this- but she had wanted this for so long that she didn't want to stop him._

_And it hurt. It hurt so badly. This was years in the making, all of the years of tension finally coming out and it was intense to say the least._

_When it was over Derek gave Casey the courtesy of staying in her bed for 5 minutes before getting up and getting dressed._

"_Wait, don't go." Casey said quietly picking at her finger nails. "Sorry Space Case, I told Sam I'd met up with him for a bit." He said tying his shoes._

"_So that's it then?" Casey said trying not to raise her voice. "You're just going to leave?" _

"_Jeez Case, you act like this is the first time a guy has left after sex with you or something." He said clearly annoyed._

_Casey looked down at her blanket and tried her hardest not to cry, "This __**was**__ the first time I've had sex."_

"_Jesus Casey!" Derek said standing up and pacing the length of her room. "Why didn't you tell me? We wouldn't have-" "What? You wouldn't have wanted to sleep me because I was a virgin?" Casey shot back. "No I wouldn't have!" Derek yelled charging at her and sitting on the bed. "I've never wanted to be the one to do that to someone Case, you should have told me." His face softened but his voice still had an edge to it._

"_It's not like you gave me an opportunity to tell you Derek. There wasn't much room for talking." Derek sat there for a beat and then stood up and went to her door. "I got to go,"_

_He didn't talk to her for 2 weeks. _

"Yes, that's what I believe."

Time's up.

DEREK

Derek moved in with Sam and his girlfriend Lola, they had a two bedroom apartment off campus and the spare room was going to waste. Transferring back had caused Derek to be put on a waiting list. He took a job on a construction crew during the day and held a part time job as a waiter at night. He was rarely home and he never had time to stop and think. He liked it that way. He had been wiring his tips to his father so if Casey ever needed anything they wouldn't have to pay for it.

He called the house to see how Casey was doing, Marti had answered. Before he could ask about Casey he heard her laugh, it wasn't her genuine laugh but it was still music to his ears. "Edwin! Stop eating like a pig!" Casey hollered, there was some scuffling followed by a loud yell from Edwin.

Derek had to wipe the tears away from his eyes before he spoke. "Hey Smarti." "Smerek!" Marti whisper screamed in to the phone, she was clearly trying to not let Casey hear who she was speaking to. "How's she doing?" Marti was quiet for a while. "Marti?" Derek asked the silence. "She talks to us now, she tries hard Derek. But we all know she's just pretending to be happy." "I know," Was all Derek could say, he was doing the same thing here.

"She started seeing a therapist about a month ago, that seemed to help."

Derek's chest tightened. She was having to see a therapist? Why was he just now hearing about this? Derek looked at his watch, he had to get to the restaurant soon. "Listen Smarti, I've got to go, would you please do me a favor?" "Sure, Smerek." "Will you please give Casey one of your best hugs for me? But don't tell her I told you to do it." "Ok, I will," "That's my Smarti, alright I'll talk to you later. Bye Smarts." "Bye Smerek,"

CASEY- October 18th

This was the day that Casey had been dreading, today would have been the baby's due date. She shut her phone off and locked the door to her room and waited until it was time do go see Doctor Williams.

She didn't want to think about anything. She just wish her mind could go completely blank. Its times like these that Casey could understand why some people turn to booze or drugs to shut their brains up and numb the pain.

Casey sat in her chair and waited for Doctor Williams to ask her if she wanted to talk. When he just sat there studying her face for 5 minutes she finally cracked. "Are we going to talk?" The doctor raised his eyebrow and nodded his head.

"I'm sure you're aware of what today is," Casey said. He nodded.

"Do you want to talk about why you're _really_ here Casey?"

Casey's leg began to twitch.

"I blame myself," She said surprising herself that she was holding it together.

"Why do you blame yourself? You know it was an accident."

"I am so clumsy all the time," she said tearing the tissue in her hands to bits.

"I should have waited until Derek got home, or asked Edwin to help me with that basket. I know I can't trust my body to have control over itself."

"Casey, people trip, people have accidents."

"I seem to be a walking disaster! If I wasn't constantly falling all over myself I would have my baby today!" She said pounding her fist on her leg.

"Casey, you would have to lock yourself in a plastic bubble if you wanted to prevent every little accident that you might possibly have, I know you want to blame yourself, and I'm positive that the years of teasing Derek did is the cause of this. But you cannot listen to the voice that says you are at fault for your baby dying."

Casey starts sobbing. Why did it sound so logical coming from him? Everyone has been telling her the same thing for months but she just couldn't believe them.

"Why does it make so much since coming from you?" Casey asked cleaning her face up with a new tissue.

"Because I'm not your family. It's my job to listen to you and try and help you with your problems, but I don't get paid any extra to make you feel better." Casey thought that sounded odd, of course he should want to make someone feel better, but Casey understood at the same time. When she left here he had many other people to deal with. He didn't have the time to dwell on her problems. He wanted her to get well and move on.

Casey sniffled and nodded her in understanding.

Time's up.

Casey sits in her car and finished crying, if she keeps this in the dam will burst at home. She doesn't feel the despair she felt an hour ago. She just needs this release.

She turns her phone one and sees that she has a new voice mail. Putting in her code she puts the phone to her ear.

'_Case, it's me.' _Derek's voice said coming through the speaker. _'I know you aren't ready to see me or speak to me yet, but I just wanted to let you know that I was thinking of you today. I love you.'_ End of message.

Casey can feel her well-constructed wall start to crumble.

_I miss him so much. Why couldn't he just forget about today? Why do I still love him so much?_

Casey pressed the button that would save the message to her phone and drove home.

**Next chapter is going to have a flashback of why Casey decides to start distancing herself from Derek after their nights together. Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Hey guys- Am I trying to post the next chapter but I'm getting an error message. I'll try later tonight**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ahh, it feels good to be back. So glad this fixed the uploading problem. **

**Italics are flashbacks, unless used in a non Italic sentence.**

Chapter Eight

_Two weeks. Casey had sex for the first time two weeks ago and she hadn't seen the guy since. She didn't regret being with Derek that night, she just wish he would talk to her again._

_Emily had come over the next day after…. The incident, and Casey told her everything. Emily was very sympathetic but warned Casey not to get her hopes up about Derek suddenly growing up and realize his feelings for her. _

_Emily and Casey we're studying in her room when he barged in, without calling._

"_There's this thing called knocking Derek, I'm sure you've heard of it. You put your hand to a door and tap it with your knuckles." She was ecstatic to see him, but after the way he left her she would never let on to that._

"_Can we talk?" his eyes narrowed at Emily. "Alone." _

_Emily grunted and rolled her eyes, "I'll see you tonight Casey," Emily walked over to Derek and whispered something in his ear. His eyes widened for a second but then he brought his features back into a scowl and waved Emily off._

_Casey pretended not to notice the exchange._

_Emily closed the door and Derek sat in a chair in front of Casey._

"_What do you want Derek?" Casey asked trying to sound annoyed not taking her eyes off her text book._

"_I, uh, I wanted to say I was s-sorry for disappearing for a while, I just needed to think."_

"_Well don't worry about it, I had a moment of weakness, it won't happen again." Casey said sitting up straighter. _Kiss me. Do something. _ Casey thought while she waited for Derek to respond._

"_This," Derek said gesturing between them. "Got me thinking, I'm a guy and you're a chick right?" Casey rolled her eyes._

"_And as being a guy and a girl we're going to have certain," Derek swallowed "desires, and who better do that with than someone we trust?"_

_Casey squinted at him in confusion._

"_Hear me out, if there comes a time you want to just, uh, let loose?" Derek said raising the last bit like a question. "you can uh, call me. And I you,"_

_Casey sat there for a moment and thought it over. Was Derek seriously offering to have a friends with benefits type relationship with her?_

_Sensing her uneasiness to the idea Derek continued._

"_We both have friends here, but I know that I still miss home at the end of the day, I'm sure you do." Casey nodded._

"_So uh, we could be each other piece of home. You know, when we're lonely."_

"_So let me get this straight, you what? Want to use me for sex because you're lonely?"_

_Derek choked on his spit "No, no, no!" he said shaking his head. "I want to use you for sex because it's hard to pick up chicks here," Derek said smirking at her. Casey got off her bed and went to the door. "Good bye Derek," Casey sing songed as she opened the door._

_Derek sighed but stood up and went to the door, "Just think about it,"_

"_Sure," She said. Derek stood there for a moment shifting his weight back and forth while looking anywhere but at Casey. He stopped bouncing around and reached out and gave Casey a hug, he held her for a minute rubbing circles on her back before he let go and left without saying goodbye._

_Casey couldn't help but notice that they next time they were together he was much gentler and went slower._

_Even though she enjoyed herself in the moment, when it was over she was angry. Why couldn't he see that she loved him? If he wanted to treat this as some kind of one night stand then she was going to be the perfect one. She never stayed longer than an hour after they were done and made up excuses for him to leave her place if they happened to meet there._

_And then one night she was just too tired to fight it, she let him sleep over._

_But she still kicked him out in the morning. And if she slept at his place she was gone before he woke up. As much as it hurt not having all of Derek she had gotten used to their arrangement. Until one day about 4 months after they had started whatever this thing was-_

_Casey was sitting in the quad drinking a coffee and reading 'Emma' when a young man sat next to her. He was fairly attractive, he had short curly brown hair and green eyes. "Hi," He said smiling at Casey, who smiled back. "Hi,"_

"_My name's Trevor, I think I'm in your art history class." "Oh I thought you looked familiar, my name's Casey." Trevor reached out and took Casey's hand a shook it. "Nice to finally meet you, I've been trying to get up the nerve to talk to you all semester." He said blushing. Casey closed her book and gave him her full attention. "I was wondering if you wanted to uh, get together, maybe have some coffee, we could talk about that ridiculous assignment Professor Wilder gave us," Trevor chuckled._

"_That sounds nice," Trevor smiled at her words. "We could met at the coffee house off campus, I'm free tonight. 7?" "Ok, it's a date, I'll see you at 7." Trevor beamed and quickly scurried away_

_After sitting with Trevor in the coffee house for hours discussing why Van Gogh was by far the most amazing artist to live; Trevor favored him because of the whole cutting off the ear thing. Casey admired the beauty he captured in everything he created._

_Trevor walked her to her dorm room. "That was fun," he said as Casey put the keys into her door. Casey laughed. "Yeah, we should do that again soon."_

_Trevor chuckled "I promise to have a better reason to like Van Gogh other than him cutting off his ear," They both laughed, "But you got to admit that was pretty badass of him," Casey smiled at Trevor. It looked like he was about to kiss her before they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat._

_Casey jumped and spun around. Derek._

"_What are you doing here, Derek?"_

"_I've been trying to call you all night, who is this?" Derek asked jerking his thumb indicating Trevor beside him. "Hi, I'm Trevor." Trevor said putting out his hand for Derek to shake, Derek looked at Trevor and then back to Casey. "Charmed I'm sure." Casey rolled her eyes at him._

"_I need to talk to you," Derek said winking, Casey understood and grew angry. "Well I might be 'talking' to Trevor tonight." She said putting an emphasis on 'talking' hoping Derek would take the hint. Derek eyes narrowed into slits._

"_Um, I'm just going to go. I'll see you in class tomorrow." Trevor said jogging down the hallway._

_Casey flung her door open and tossed her purse on her small table. "I can't believe you!" Derek looked taken aback._

"_You can't believe _me_? I'm not the one throwing myself and some strange dude when I have an agreement with someone else." Derek said closing her door behind him._

"_You can't have it both ways Derek," Casey said sitting on her bed taking her shoes off._

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_You can't use me for sex and then act like I'm cheating on you if I even look at another guy." Casey brushed passed him to hang up her coat._

"_I'm not hanging out with other girls," Derek said quietly. Casey stopped and turned toward him. "Huh?"_

"_I said I'm not hanging out with other girls,"_

"_Do you want a medal or something?" Casey asked grabbing a bottle of water from her small fridge, clearing not understanding what Derek meant._

"_Look, if we're going to continue this-" he said pointing between them. "I don't want to have to worry about catching something from some skeevy guy you bring home." _

"_So what, I lose my virginity 4 months ago –to you by the way- and I'm suddenly some disease riddled slut?"_

_Derek's face scrunched up. "That's not what I said,"_

_Casey scoffed. "That's exactly what it sounded like," Casey paused "And for your information, you're the only person I'm 'talking' to." She finished. She glanced at him and then back to the ground._

_Derek shuffled his feet. "Well ok then,"_

DEREK

He had just taken a break from the restaurant and seen that he had a missed call from his dad. It took Derek a few minutes to work up the nerve to call him back. It was two weeks before Christmas and his dad had been bugging him to come home for the holiday break. He took a deep breath and hit the call button.

"Hey son," George said. "Hey dad," "I really want you to reconsider not coming home for Christmas." "Dad, I told you, Casey doesn't want me there, she isn't ready."

"That's why I'm calling. She has been talking to Doctor Williams and he actually encouraged her to allow you to come home." Derek was speechless, would she really let him come back?

"Nora talked to her last night and she said that she was ok with it,"

"I'll, uh, I'll... I'll leave this weekend." George let out a sigh in relief "Thank you Derek, we all miss you." "I miss you guys too. Um, how is she doing?"

"She still gets sad sometimes, but I really think she's coming around. Sorry, I got to go, Nora needs my help unloading the groceries from the car." "Alright dad, bye."

"So she wants you to come home? That's great, D!" Sam said slapping his back. "Well, not in those words, my dad said that she was ok with me coming back. Her therapist had to talk her in to it."

"You got to start somewhere, Derek. "

CASEY

"So, Derek is coming home for Christmas?" The doctor asked.

"Yes, I'm strangely at peace with it."

"Casey, I've been thinking about this for a while and I don't think you need to see me anymore." Casey stared at him in shock.

"I truly think you're going to be ok, but…" He paused to rub at his eyes. "I think that for you to finally have closure there is one thing you need to do."

Casey scratched at her nails unsure if she could do what he might ask of her.

"I think you need to give your son a name."

DEREK

The drive back home seemed to drag on forever, he was finally going to see her. 4 months was a long time to be away from someone you loved.

"_Can we talk?" Derek's eyes narrowed at Emily. "Alone."_

_Emily grunted and rolled her eyes, "I'll see you tonight Casey," Emily walked over to Derek, she put her lips to his ears. "I hope you figure out your feelings for her before it's too late. Don't screw around with her head Derek." Derek's eye grew wide for a split second before returning to a scowl. If Casey has witnessed the exchange she didn't mention it._

_Derek was over at Casey's after they had inadvertently agreed to be exclusive, sexually speaking. Not that he was seeing other girls- While they watched a movie on her bed Derek held her hand, played with her hair and trailed kisses down her neck. At a particularly boring part Derek ventured up from her neck and kissed her on the lips._

_Casey pulled away a hint of pink to her cheeks, "You're being awfully nice tonight," she stated. "Hey, I can be nice sometimes." Derek said pulling her back in to nuzzle at her neck._

"_You don't have to go just yet," Derek said as Casey climbed out of his bed and began to gather her clothes from around the room. "I told you I have an assignment due in the morning." She said hopping up and down trying to pull up her tight jeans. "Just like you had something to turn in yesterday?" Casey finally dressed, sighed. "It's just sex, Derek." She said getting her purse and leaving._

_But it wasn't just sex to him anymore._

Pulling his thoughts together he turned down that familiar street. His stomach in his throat he pulled the car to a stop in the driveway. He killed the engine and made his way to the door. His dad and Nora were in the kitchen cooking dinner and they had both practically tackled him when they saw him walk into view.

"Casey?" He asked when they let him go. "She's in the living room with the kids." Nora said touching his cheek.

Derek left his stuff in the kitchen and made his way to the living room. Edwin was scribbling in a notebook, Lizzie sat on the floor playing cards with Marti, who sat on Casey's lap while she pointed out the cards to play. Derek almost wanted to back out of the room, he felt like an intruder.

"Derek!" Edwin cried out and power walked to him, Edwin hugged him and then quickly pulled away and slapped his arm. Derek smiled and ruffled his hair. His eyes wondered over to Casey who sat ridged with her back to him, Marti bounded over to him and jumped in his arms. "Smerek!" "Hey, Smarti!" Derek said spinning her around. Lizzie pulled him into a sideways hug.

Derek looked at Casey, she looked like she was going to burst into tears but managed a small smile. Derek put Marti down and took a step towards Casey, who took a step back. Derek stopped and watched her, her blue eyes bore into his own. He took a half step, when she didn't make a move to turn away from him he took the last remaining strides and took her into his arms and hugged her lightly.

Casey's arms shot around him and she balled the back of his shirt in her fists and buried her head into his chest. She started to bawl and desperately clawed at his back.

"Shh," Derek said rubbing her back. Derek could feel her knees trembling so he sat them on the couch and pulled her onto his lap.

George and Nora seeing this took the kids out for a while.

Casey continued to weep hysterically into his shirt as he whispered reassuring words to her, after 20 minutes her crying started to slow down; he pressed several kisses to the top of her head and carried her up the stairs and into her room.

He laid her down on her bed and kissed her forehead. When he made way to stand up she frantically grabbed his arm. "Don't leave me," Derek gave her a sad smile. "I'm not going anywhere, Princess." He said kissing her forehead and climbing into the bed next to her.

**Yay for a little Dasey. Not sure how much longer this story is going to go on, maybe two more chapters. **

**Feel free to shoot a review at me. I love them!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you all for being so patient, I have had some SERIOUS writers block, I hope it doesn't show, I finally made myself sit down and just type. This is what came out.**

CASEY

_Casey was laying in her bed absentmindedly rubbing her hand on her protruding belly. Enjoying the feeling of her baby kicking inside of her. She heard Derek call from down stairs that he was home. Excited that he was home after such a long day Casey jumped off her bed and quickly made her way down to the stairs._

_Upon stepping onto the first step she felt her legs give out from under her and she began to tumble down the stairs for what seemed like eternity and landing in a heap at the bottom._

_Derek rushed to her and helped her stand up, she felt her belly and her hands came back slick with blood. She looked down and seen blood begin to seep through her shirt and pouring down her legs. Derek ran to the laundry room and grabbed all of the towels he could find, but in a matter of seconds those too were soaked through with blood._

Casey woke with a start and put her hand over her mouth to muffle the scream that was trying to escape. She looked over and seen that Derek was still asleep, the hand that must have been over her waist now lay limply over her legs. Carefully she removed his arm and quietly went to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Peeling off her clothes she examined her body in the mirror. She looked the same except for the faint pink horizontal scar on her lower abdomen. Running her finger over it a single tear left her eye and she quickly got in the shower, where she felt it was safe to break down.

She had gone on for months pretending to feel ok, and Derek had to come back with a sledge hammer to knock her expertly constructed walls down. She cried for what seemed like hours until there were no more tears and she was making herself sick.

She got out of the shower and went to her room to dress for the day, Derek was still sleeping so she tried to be as quiet as possible. She opened her underwear drawer and it gave a loud squeak, Casey winced and then looked over to Derek who started to stir. She quickly grabbed her bra and underwear and put them on under her towel and put the towel in the basket in the corner.

"Hey," Derek sleepy called out to her, "Hey," She whispered back. She kept her back to him as she got dressed, not ready to show him that she had just spent the better part of an hour crying in the shower.

Derek must have sensed that something was wrong, she heard him stand up and walk to her, he put his hand on her shoulder and waited for her to turn around. She sighed and turned around, sure that her face was red and puffy.

Derek looked at her for a moment before gently putting his hand on her cheek, "Talk to me Case," Casey closed her eyes and put her hand over his, she turned her face and kissed his wrist, "I've missed you so much," She could feel new tears sting behind her eyelids, she squeezed her eyes tighter before she looked at Derek. His face was a mix of love and worry. She took his hand and led him over to the bed.

"I'm not going to freak out, Derek." Derek looked relieved.

Casey wanted nothing more than to crawl into Derek's arms and never leave, but she had a few things to say before they could move on, if there was going to be a 'them' after she was done.

"Talking with doctor Williams really helped me Derek, he helped me understand that it wasn't my fault." Casey sighed. Derek took her hand. "I think I took it so hard and blamed myself because of all of your teasing," Casey could feel his hand begin to sweat, but she needed to get this off her chest, she looked him in the eyes and Derek looked like his might vomit. "The teasing and name calling never bothered me, but after I tripped down those stairs and the doctors told me I lost the baby it all just came back to me." "Casey, I'm so sorry," Casey shook her head. "Don't, Derek that's how we were. It sounds silly but those were the times that I knew I loved you. You were a pain in the ass and teased me, but I think I knew that you didn't really hate me," Casey said with a shrug.

"I never hated you Case, I was 15 when we met, I didn't know how to handle being around a girl I wanted but knew I could never have." He said stoking her cheek.

"Derek, where did you go for those two weeks after we were together?"

Derek looked down and sighed. "I didn't go anywhere, I was still on campus but I avoided you and I know that was wrong and I'm sorry."

"I kind of need more of an explanation than that Derek,"

"What do you want me to say? I already apologized." Derek said sounding defensive.

"I gave you _everything_ Derek and you disappeared for two weeks, do you have any idea how that made me feel?" Casey said choking back the tears.

"I was mad at you, Casey I have wanted you for as long I have known you and I thought that you used me to get your first time over with," Casey opened her mouth to say something but Derek held a hand up. "I know I was the one who started it, but I thought that you would have at least told me it was your first time. If I would have known we probably wouldn't have done it then. I would have wanted to make it special for you."

Casey was taken aback. "I, uh, I had no idea." Casey looked down at her lap. "I wasn't trying to trick you, I had been wanting that to happen for a long time." Derek still looked sad. "And even though it hurt, it was still perfect. I was with you, and that's all I needed."

DEREK

It took about a week but Derek and Casey got closer and everything seemed to be normal, they had just sat down to dinner when Casey said that she had something that she wanted to say.

"I had my last appointment with doctor Williams two weeks ago," Derek reached forward and grabbed her hand.  
"But he gave me some homework, and for once it didn't come easy for me." Casey looked down at her plate.  
"At my last appointment he told me that the only way that I was going to get closure was to give the baby a name." Derek stopped breathing, in fact it looked like everyone was holding their breath, waiting for Casey to break. She took a deep breath before she continued.

"Michael Allen Venturi," Casey rushed out. Derek looked around the table his dad had a big grin on his face. "That's a wonderful name Sweetheart," Nora said rubbing her shoulder.

Casey nodded. "Michael for Derek's middle name," She said giving Derek a small smile. "And Allen for George's middle name. I wanted his name to mean something." Derek got up from his seat and went to her and pulled her out of her seat and hugged her.  
"It's great, Casey." He said kissing her cheek.

It takes another week for Casey to let Derek sleep in the same room as her. They are lying in bed together when Casey sits up, Derek sits up with her and brushes some hair out of her face. "What's wrong? This wasn't too soon was it? I know all we did was sleep but-" Casey blushes. "No," she chuckles, "It's been too long," Casey breathes out, "But," she said sounding serious. "I need you to forgive me." "For what?" Derek laughs. "For shutting you out for 5 months, I should have been dealing with it with you here." She said reaching for his hand. "I know I've been distant but I just want you to know that if anything else major happens I'll let you in to help me." "Thank you," Derek said hugging her.

Derek is sitting at the table watching Marti color, Casey is in the kitchen making chocolate chip pancakes and Edwin is talking to her gesturing wildly with his arms.

"I'm glad you're home Smerek," Marti says smiling at him, "I'm happy I'm home too, Smarti," he says ruffling her hair. "Casey is happy your home too," "I know," Derek says sneaking a glance over at Casey who is laughing at something Edwin had said.

"Edwin has been really nice to Casey, he is always making her laugh." Derek's stomach pinches in jealousy. "He has huh?" He asks Marti keeping an eye on Edwin and Casey, she has a smudge of flour on her face and Edwin reaches over and wipes it off, his fingers lingering on her face a little too long for Derek's liking. Derek turns to Marti who is oblivious. "What kind of nice things does Edwin do for Casey, Marti?"

"He does silly things to make her laugh, he pretended to be blind at dinner one time and kept missing his mouth and got food all over his face." She says giggling. "Lizzie says she hears them talking down stairs late at night sometimes." She says switching her green crayon for a red one. "Anything else?" Derek says barely concealing his anger. "He takes her out for ice cream after dinner every once in a while, I get to go sometimes!" Marti said smiling.

Derek looks over to the kitchen, Edwin is doing a dance that resembles a seizure and Casey is almost doubled over laughing. Derek gets up and walks over to Edwin and grabs him by the collar of his shirt and drags him out of the house.

"What the hell are you doing Ed?" Derek demands releasing his shirt, Edwin rubs his neck. "What are you talking about?" "What's going on with you and Casey?" Derek asks trying to keep his voice even. "Nothing, what's wrong with you?" Edwin asks furrowing his brows, Derek wrings his hands together trying to calm himself. "Marti informed me how much you have been making Casey happy while I've been gone." Edwin rolls his eyes, "It's nothing, Derek. I've been trying to make her feel better, that's it." "And you don't think I wanted to be the one to make her feel better?" Derek is almost shouting now. "Well you weren't here were you?" Edwin accuses, it takes all of Derek's self-restraint to not hit Edwin.

"So what is this thing you're doing Ed? I leave and you think you can just swoop in and be the good guy with Casey? Well I'm back now so you can drop it." "Swoop in? Good guy? What the hell are you talking about?" Edwin says trying to play stupid. "Cut the crap Ed, I know what you're doing." Edwin shuffle his feet. "And what am I doing?"

"I see the way you look at her when you think no one is paying attention. And that thing with the flour in the kitchen? Are you really that hard up that you have to try and take advantage of Casey?" Edwin crosses his arms and draws in a deep breath and lets it out.

"It's not like that, I don't want to talk about this with you." Edwin turns to walk back in the house. "Tough shit," Derek says grabbing his arm.

"It started out with just trying to cheer her up, she was sad and I hated it." Edwin says inspecting his finger nails. "About 3 months ago, she had been seeing that therapist for a little over a month and she changed. She actually would laugh at my ridiculous attempts to make her smile, when she would hug me it was easy to pretend it was because there was something there." Edwin kicks a rock by his foot, "One day it stopped being about trying to cheer her up, I just want to see her smile. I would spend all day at school thinking of what I could do just to hear her laugh," Edwin chuckles "You've had her Derek, you know what that's like." Derek knows exactly what he's talking about, his anger toward his brother starts to fade, he knows what it's like to be under Casey's spell.

"I can't just turn it off," Edwin says breaking the silence, Derek was about to say something comforting to his brother but he cut him off. "And I'm not so sure I want to," Edwin says staring at him for a moment before going back into the house.

**Don't fret my babies, this is a Dasey, Derek just needs to realize that he isn't the only one who can love Casey and he needs to step up his game.**


	10. Chapter 10

**This is Edwin's side through flashbacks. And how he falls in love with Casey**

EDWIN

Two months before Derek came home

_Casey and Edwin had been having talks that lasted early in the morning for a while, sometimes they didn't really even talk about anything. Edwin just enjoyed being with her; Casey not being tired after everyone else had gone to bed asked Edwin if he wanted to watch a movie. _

_Watching a movie with Casey was nothing new, they often found themselves huddled on the couch watching a movie after the family had gone to bed. _

_Edwin had noticed that he had been sitting closer to Casey than he normally did, he debated on if he should scoot away, it was hard enough to sit with her at the dinner table as it was; when Casey rested her head on his shoulder. _

_Edwin's body stiffened, he had never been this close to her before. Sure, he imagined what it would be like if he was lucky enough for her to want to snuggle up to him on the couch like she used to with Derek, but actually being there, smelling her hair and her hand resting dangerously close to his leg was almost too much. But he didn't dare say anything out of fear that she might move._

"_Have you seen this before?" Casey asked tilting her head up to look at him, it took Edwin longer than he wanted to get his brain functioning, her blue eyes had him in a trance. He must have looked like an idiot just staring down at her. "Uh," Edwin muttered finally tearing his eyes away from her to look at the TV, Nicholas Cage was driving a sports car down a busy downtown street. "I don't think so,"_

"_Oh it's really good, see his brother is being held hostage and Nicholas Cage has to steal all of these cars-" Edwin had stopped listening to her, the only thing he could focus on was how close her hand was to his, he moved his hand closer so that the backs of their hands were touching, and used his index finger to stroke her hand. He noticed Casey had stopped talking and her body became ridged for a moment before relaxing again, Edwin kept playing with her hand, when she opened her hand Edwin laced his fingers through hers and held her hand while they watched the movie._

_About half way through the movie Casey had grabbed a throw pillow and situated herself so that the pillow was resting against Edwin's leg. Edwin's hand ventured to play with her hair. She was asleep before the movie was over._

_Once the movie was over Edwin sat there just staring at Casey, he knew that she loved Derek, but it was so nice pretending it was him she was thinking of. This had started as him not wanting to see her upset anymore and it had turned into full blown infatuation. Edwin hated himself, but he was starting to fall in love with Casey. _

"_Casey?" Edwin whispered, Casey let out a weak grunt and rolled over on the couch so that her body was facing Edwin. "Casey," Edwin said touching her forehead, Casey scrunched up her face and buried her face into his side, this was killing him. Here he was trying to be somewhat decent and respectful and here she was being impossibly adorable._

"_Casey," He said a little louder and shaking her shoulder, he needed her to get off of him and the couch and get far away from him. He was in danger of doing something stupid. _

"_Ok, ok, I'm going." Casey grumbled, sitting up. Edwin stood up and stretched out his hand to help her up, she took it and stood. She put her arms lazily around his waist, "Good night, Edwin." She said into his shirt and before he could do anything to stop her she reached up and kissed his cheek. She patted his arm before going up the stairs._

_For the next week or so nothing changed between them, he was still Edwin trying to make her smile and she was still Casey as beautiful as ever. They didn't have another moment like the one they had on the couch, in fact it wasn't even a moment for Casey. But it was a big deal to Edwin._

_Lizzie had been watching Edwin around Casey, and she had seen them that night watching a movie. And no it wasn't the part where her head rested innocently on his shoulder, Lizzie had the perfect timing to want to get a glass of water when Casey practically had her head in his lap and he was running his fingers through her hair._

_And after a week of watching Edwin make puppy eyes at Casey over the dinner table she needed to talk to him. She waited in the games closet for him to come by, when she seen him she yanked him inside._

"_Lizzie?" Edwin asked, she hadn't turned the light on._

"_No, it's the Boogey Man. Yes, it's me." She said lightly pushing his shoulder._

"_What do you want? I have homework to do."_

"_I seen you the other night watching a movie with Casey, what do you think you're doing?"_

"_I'm not doing anything,"_

"_Oh Edwin, this would be so much easier if you didn't lie." Lizzie put her hand on his chest. "Now," she said pinching and twisting his skin and covering his mouth to block out his scream. "What do you think you're doing?"_

"_Ow! Damn, Lizzie! That hurt!" Edwin said rubbing his chest. _

"_Are you ready to talk?" when Edwin didn't respond Lizzie made a grab for is chest again. "Yes!" Edwin yelped slapping her hand away. "Well?" Lizzie said tapping her foot._

"_You've seen how Casey has been doing, I've just been trying to cheer her up."_

"_Yeah, well it looks like you're making moves on her. You know how hard the last few months have been on her Edwin, she is in a vulnerable place right now. You can't be sitting on the couch with her late at night," Lizzie sighed. "If this is some kind of game to you-" _

"_Stop it," Edwin said firmly. His feelings for Casey were not a game, and he was getting angry that Lizzie was accusing him of such a thing._

"_You're dad has been talking to Derek about coming home for Christmas, what are you going to do when he shows up?"_

"_I don't know," Edwin said looking at the floor._

"_You have to stop doing, whatever it is that you're doing."_

"_I can't Liz," Edwin said nervously scratching his arm._

"_And why not?" Lizzie demanded_

"_Because, I think I love her." Edwin said leaving the closet_

Later that night

_After Edwin had told Lizzie that he loved Casey he tried to avoid Casey for the rest of the day. When she would try and talk to him at dinner he would give one word responses or grunt in reply. The rest of the family thought Edwin was just in a mood, however Lizzie knew better._

_It was Edwin and Casey's turn to do the dishes that night, Edwin washed and Casey dried. He hadn't spoken a word to her all day, even when Casey outright asked him something. He knew he couldn't ignore her forever but he needed Lizzie off his back. _

_Just as Edwin had washed the last dish Casey cleared her throat, "Is everything alright?" "Great," Edwin said handing Casey the dish and running up the stairs._

_Finally in the safety of his room Edwin felt like crying, he felt terrible; He knew he wasn't trying to take advantage of Casey, his feelings were real. He knew that Casey was still hung up on Derek. And another small thing was that he was 17 and Casey had just turned 20. There was no way she thought of him the way he thought of her. And Derek was probably coming home soon, Casey would forget all about him and how he had been the one that was here while Derek went back to school. His heart broke a little more and he finally let a few tears loose._

_There was a small knock on the door, Edwin quickly rubbed the moisture from his eyes and grabbed a magazine. The door opened revealing Casey, he tried not to look at her too much; she had changed into her pajamas, a pink tank top and black yoga pants. She slowly made her way into his room and shut the door._

"_Ed, are you alright?" She asked sitting on the bed next to him. His eyes flashed to meet hers for a second before he looked back down at the magazine he was pretending to read. "Oh Edwin, have you been crying?"_

"_Amy broke up with me last week." 'Liar,' he thought 'you dumped her the minute Casey started to let your talks and hugs last longer than they needed to.' He shook his head trying to shut himself up._

"_Oh, I'm so sorry Ed, what happened?"_

'_You did,' he thought. "She wanted to break up now instead of waiting until we went to different universities," Edwin lied again._

"_That's awful, well you're better off without her. If someone can't be bothered to make long distance work then she doesn't deserve you," Casey said with a smile and a pat to his knee._

_Dear Lord, was she trying to kill him? _

"_Anyway, I bought that new Patrick Dempsey movie, I don't want to watch it alone, and I know you Venturi's hate chick flicks…" Casey trailed off looking at him with puppy dog eyes._

_Edwin gave a heavy sigh, "Go get it," He said tossing his magazine on the floor._

_Edwin had asked Lizzie why her and Casey never talked the way him and Casey did, she said that she had tried a few times but just never knew what to say. So she stuck to clothes and would ask Casey her opinion on boys. _

_When Casey came sashaying back into his room Edwin wished Lizzie would have been better at talking with Casey, then he wouldn't be in this mess and in love with a girl he couldn't have._

_Casey put the movie in and jumped on the bed next to Edwin and scooted closer to him laying her head on his shoulder, Edwin lifted his arm and wound it around Casey; she snuggled into him and put her hand on his chest in front of her face._

_There was no way Edwin could concentrate on the movie, not with Casey being this close. He wanted to lean down and kiss her, heck he wanted to do more than kiss her. He spent the hour and a half not thinking about Casey being in his bed, and he most certainly didn't think about the activities that could occur on a bed._

_When the movie was over and Casey didn't make a move to get up Edwin stupidly let him get his hopes up. Maybe she was finally coming around? _

_He looked down at the girl in his arms and seen that she was fast asleep, Edwin groaned, why was she making a habit of falling asleep on top of him. It was really making it hard to not try something with her- when she was awake of course! _

_Edwin gently slipped out from under her and pulled the blankets over her, he leaned down and kissed her forehead softly, and he swore that she briefly smiled in her sleep. Edwin grabbed a pillow and blanket and went down stairs to sleep on the couch._

_Edwin woke up early the next morning, he gathered his pillow and blanket and went back up to his room. Casey was sprawled over the bed, her arms and legs bent at angles Edwin didn't think seemed normal, the blanket was bunched up at the foot of his bed. Putting his things down Edwin made his way over to the bed and brought the blanket back over her, Casey rolled over and opened her eyes._

"_Sorry, you fell asleep, I slept down stairs." Edwin said._

"_Oh Edwin, I'm sorry, you should have woken me up."_

"_It's no big deal, really."_

"_You're too sweet sometimes, Ed." Casey said look up at him, Edwin realized that he was still leaning over her and stood up straight and bolted from the room._

One week before Derek came home

_The last two months have been torturous for Edwin, their talks and evenings together hadn't stopped and it was getting harder and harder for him to control himself. He had almost kissed Casey countless times since she had fallen asleep in his bed, there was a time or two that he thought Casey was going to kiss him before she said goodnight, only for her to shake her head slightly and pat his arm and jog up the stairs._

_Casey had come to him after her last appointment with doctor Williams and she told him about him telling her that she needed to give the baby a name. It was Edwin who helped her pick the name, well he merely suggested it, but she was the only who thought it sounded nice._

_When she told him that Derek was coming home for Christmas he couldn't ignore the smile on her face. She said that she was nervous to see him and Edwin knew that their little moments together were done. She would probably leave with Derek after his break was over._

_That made him angry; it wasn't fair that Edwin was here to see her in pain and tried everything in his power to make her feel better. Edwin was in love with her now and it wasn't fair that Derek got to just come back after the work was done. _

_Edwin wouldn't stop Casey if she wanted Derek, but he wasn't going to just give her up._

**_I'll try not to make this too angsty, but in this story's universe it makes sense that an older Edwin would fall for Casey, he was there for her and he was the one who finally got her to smile. It just seemed natural for me to make him fall in love with her._**


	11. Chapter 11

**I hate writers block! There was a few days where I couldn't get to a computer and when I was finally able to sit down nothing came to mind. I hope I didn't screw this chapter up.**

CASEY

It was the day before Christmas Eve and Edwin had been acting strange, at first he seemed to distance himself when Derek arrived but after Derek had dragged him out of the house something was different. He told her more jokes and was always touching her in some way.

After dinner the kids had decided to play a game at the table, there needed to be teams; George, Nora and Marti on one, Derek and Lizzie on the other, and Edwin and Casey.

Casey was about to pick Derek for her partner when Edwin piped up and said that because it was a game of knowledge the smartest people should team up, _naturally_.

With every right answer Edwin would clamp his hand on her shoulder or rub her back. Casey would shoot Derek apologetic looks. Derek pretended not to notice, but Casey would see him clench his fists anytime Edwin so much as grazed her arm.

Casey will be the first to admit that the last few months had been very confusing for her, she had pushed Derek away when they needed each other the most and was for some reason letting Edwin be the one to comfort her. She sort of latched on to him.

She by no means had she any feelings for Edwin, it was nice to be around someone who cared, and honestly, she would be lying if she didn't enjoy the attention.

She knew she wasn't being fair to Edwin, hanging out in his room late at night, letting him hold her while they watched a movie or talked. But at the time she felt like if she wouldn't allow herself to have Derek then she would settle for Edwin.

Edwin had been there and didn't push her to feel better, he was simply Ed. He would let her talk, cry and be there with a joke if she got too sad, she needed him in some small way.

She was constantly worried about what Derek would think if he ever found out- She knew she didn't have feelings for Edwin, she mostly thought of him as a brother- She knew he would be angry that Casey had pushed him away and then let his brother take care of her. She wished that she could go back and slap herself for making him leave.

"Yes!" Edwin hollered pulling Casey back to the present, he had answered something correctly and won the game. Casey tried to smile but she was sure it looked more like a grimace, Edwin was bouncing in his seat and reached over and put his hand on her knee. Casey's eyes shot over to Edwin and then to Derek.

If looks could kill Edwin would be a mutilated piece of meat on the floor, Casey stood up quickly and excused herself from the table. She ran out the front door and sat on the porch, gulping in the cold December air. The door opened and Derek came out with her jacket.

"Want to go for a walk?" He asked helping her on with her coat. Casey nodded her head and they walked silently down the road.

"Derek," Casey started but her voice shook, Derek grabbed her hand and waited for her to continue.

Casey stopped walking, Derek turned to face Casey. Her cheeks were burning red and she looked on the verge of tears.

"I haven't been fair to either of you," Casey said looking away from him. "I made you leave and then I let someone else in when it should have been you."

"Why did it have to Ed, Casey?" He asked, the pain evident in his voice.

"It's not like that Derek; I thought you hated me, so I pushed you away. I lost the baby and I thought I had lost you too." She uttered. "I had started talking to Edwin one night and it was like you were there, I pretended you were there. It hurt so much to see that it was Edwin in front of me and not you, and part of me was angry that you left. I know I told you to leave but what I really needed was for you to stay and fight with me." Casey was rambling, she shook her head violently to call her mind.

"I needed you, but I told you to leave; and you did. And I was angry." Derek's face softened he reached out and wiped a tear off her cheek, Casey leaned in to his touch.

"I knew Edwin was starting to feel things for me but I couldn't let him go. He has become so much like you it was easy to forget that he was Edwin. I have been selfish with his feelings and I am so sorry. Derek, please believe me, I do not have feelings for Edwin, and I never have." Casey whimpered.

Derek stood there for a moment and then brought her into a hug. "I'm sorry too, I know I should have stayed, but I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving. I'm sorry that you have been feeling guilty about being around Edwin. It should have been me."

"Derek?" Casey asked her face still buried in his jacket.

"Hmm?"

"Do you still love me?" Casey muttered. It was a simple question but it made Derek's heart break.

He squeezed her tighter, "Absolutely," Casey brought herself out of his jacket and reached up and kissed him.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips.

DEREK

After Edwin had told Derek that he had feelings for Casey and he wasn't going to back down he began to watch Edwin intently whenever Casey was in the room. He knew that Casey had been in a weird place after he left and he hopped that whatever this thing Edwin was doing was one sided.

He was comforted by the looks she would give him whenever Edwin got too close, and those talks that Marti told him about seemed to have stopped.

But Edwin was not very subtle, how their parents didn't notice what was going on in front of them was beyond Derek. Edwin had to touch her all the time. It made Derek want to bash him over the head with a chair, Derek had never really wanted to hurt Edwin. Until whatever this was started.

And until Casey had told him was what going on he realized just how tense he had become. When Casey told him that she didn't like Edwin and in fact by some miracle still loved him he felt like he could breathe again.

Derek told her that she needed to talk to Edwin and explain things. It was best that Edwin got the hint now and backed off.

When Edwin came down the stairs after Casey looking like she had just ran over his dog he knew Casey had talked to him. Casey gave Derek a soft smile and went into the kitchen, Derek was about to follow her when Edwin grabbed his arm.

"Look, I know this is messed up. But I just want you to know if you do anything to hurt her or screw this up, I _will_ hurt you." Edwin said looking at Derek sternly. Derek could only nod his head, Edwin deflated and let go of his brother's arm.

"I know Ed," Derek said putting his hand on his shoulder. Edwin really did love Casey, he didn't have to say it. He knew.

"And if you break her heart, I promise to wait a respectful amount of time before I move in on her." Edwin said with a pained smiled.

When Christmas morning rolled around Derek realized that he hadn't gotten anyone presents. He was so focused on coming home to Casey and then watching Edwin that he completely forgot to buy anything.

He sat on his bed wracking his brain for what to do, he and Casey just got back together he couldn't not get her something. He got up and began to frantically search his drawers, there had to be _something_ he could give her. He pulled his desk drawer open and heard a clank when something from the back flew forward, He took a moment to look at the small black box that he had thrown in here so long ago.

He sat in his chair and put the box on the desk, He stared at it until Marti grew impatient and started banging on his door that it was time to open presents. He gingerly picked up the small box and put it in his pocket.

Everyone was down stairs and waiting for him to start. Marti had already divided the presents into piles and as soon as she seen him coming down the stairs she began to tear into a package.

He watched his family open all of their gifts, he had gotten a few things but what he planned on having at the end of the day was more important than some signed hockey jersey.

Casey was enjoying herself, she didn't even notice that Derek hadn't gotten her anything. Opening her last gift she sat back and watched the rest of the family, Marti was chasing Lizzie with a fake snake. Edwin sat brooding in the corner writing in a notebook.

Derek took a deep breath and kissed Casey, surprised she smiled at him. Shaking nervously Derek knelt in front of her and pulled out the box. Casey's eyes went between the small box in Derek's hand and his face, realization dawned on her face and she started to cry.

The rest of the family had seen what was going on and grew quiet and watched.

Derek let out a shaky breath and took Casey's left hand. "Casey, I know things started out weirdly with us. I was mean to you and pranked you without mercy, I was a scared 15 year old kid who thought happiness meant dating a lot of girls. And then you showed up and challenged all of that, I knew as soon as you stepped foot in this house that everything I thought was right was wrong." Derek kissed her hand.

"Casey, I don't want to spend another day without knowing I'll have you for the rest of my life, will you marry me?"

Casey leapt at him and knocked him to the ground and began kissing him all over his face. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Derek sat them up on the floor and put the ring on her finger. Casey's eyes beamed. "It's beautiful Derek," She whispered. Derek kissed her forehead. "Just like you."

Casey tenderly kissed him. "Merry Christmas, Derek." Derek wiped the remaining tears from her face and kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Princess."

CASEY

After spending the morning talking to her mom and Lizzie about wedding stuff and hiding in dark corners of the house kissing Derek, Casey needed a nap.

"I'm going to go lay down," Casey said kissing Derek. "See you up there?" Casey said winking at him. Derek gave her a devilish grin and looked around to make sure no one heard. "Give me 5 minutes," He says kissing her forehead. Casey smiled at him and walks up the stairs. Seeing Edwin come out of his room Casey tried to quickly enter her room.

"Casey, wait." He called out to her. Casey paused and turned around. "What do you want, Ed?" she asks trying not to sound annoyed. She had to break his heart the other day and she had been trying to avoid him.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks taking her left hand and inspecting her ring, Casey slowly pulls her hand away from him. "Of course I do, I love him Edwin."

"I can't promise I'll be here if he leaves you again." He says looking at her with sorrow, Casey stands up straighter. "He left because I made him. And I'm sorry that you got your feelings hurt, Ed, I really am. I feel terrible for leading you on, but you have to know that nothing can ever happen between us." Edwin stood there for a moment looking into her eyes, then he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek and went back to his room.

Casey stood there for a moment, she felt an arm snake across her waist. "Everything ok?" Derek asked kissing her temple. Casey turned around and put her hands on his shoulders. "You tell me, I'm sure you heard everything." She said kissing him.

"Now come on," She said tugging his arm and pulling him to her bed room.

"It's time to celebrate,"

**I was REALLY really tempted to keep the Edwin/Casey thing going and draw that out for a bit, but I quickly lost focus on the story. This is going to be the last chapter because I have really lost some steam writing it, I want to end it before I turn it into something terrible..er. Anyway, I should be able to get an epilogue up in the next day or so!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm sorry, I haven't posted the epilogue like I promised. Every time I sat down to write it everything that came out was just wrong.  
I don't know how to really conclude this and do the rest of the story justice. So for now, I'm going to put this baby to bed.  
If inspiration strikes I will definitely write an epilogue.**  
**Thank you to all who read and reviewed, even if you didn't review thank you for reading!  
It was fun and a little nerve wracking to write this. You guys have been absolutely great!**


End file.
